The
International Gastronomical Must Have Reference Work
Copyright ©2005-2009
Jack Vanderwyk
B
Baamieh (Arab.):
okra.
Baba
- a small cake made from enriched yeast dough, often flavored with candied
fruits, and soaked with rum or Kirsch syrup after baking. This dough is
also used to make the larger savarin. Babà
al rhum
(It.): this yeasted sweet is baked and soaked in a rum syrup until
it is entirely imbued with the rum's aroma and flavor. The most famous
are from Baba
au rhum (Fr.):
sponge cake soaked in rum syrup. Baba
Ghannouj
(Arab.): eggplant puree with garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and
tahini. It’s used as a spread or dip for pita bread. Also:
baba ghanoush. Babbaluci
(It.): small snails, cooked in garlic or tomato sauce. Babke
(Jew.): chocolate cake. Bacalao
(Sp.): (salted) cod. Bacalao
a la Vizcaina
(Sp.): salt cod in an onion and pimiento sauce, often with tomato
added, lit.: “salt cod in the way of the Bacalao
al pil pil
(Sp.): salt cod served with chilies and garlic. Bacaliaros
Skordalia
(Greek): cod in garlic sauce. Bacardi:
white rum, blended, charcoal-filtered, aged for a least one year, then
charcoal-filtered again to produce subtle, delicate rum that is clear in
color, light in body and dry in flavor. Bacaro
(It.): Venetian wine shop or wine bar serving an ombreta
and cicheti. Baccalà
(It.): salt cod, except in the northeast of Baccalà
al forno con cipolle e patate (It.):
baked salt cod with onions and potatoes. Baccalà
alla vincentina (It.):
salt cod fillets in a sauce with onions, garlic and Parmesan, topped with
parsley, served with toast. Traditionally from Baccalà
in umido
(It.): stewed salt cod. Baccalà
mantecato
(It.): Venetian specialty of boiled stoccafisso beaten with
olive oil into a thick cream. A common dish native to Bacalhau
à braz
(Port.): salt cod and french fries in thin strips combined with
scrambled eggs and garnished with parsley, in an onion sauce. Bacalhau
à Gomes de Sá
(Port.): essentially a casserole of cod, potatoes and onions, is
an Bacalhau
com natas
(Port.): salt cod fried with onions and baked in the oven with a
cream white sauce (béchamel sauce) and diced potatoes. Served with
a cold salad. Bacalhau
cozido com batatas e couves
(Port.): salt cod cooked with potatoes and cabbages. Traditional
Christmas dish. Baccelone
(It.): Livornese soft ewes milk cheese. It is traditionally accompanied
by fava beans. Bacchetine
di carote
(It.): carrots, in a batter consisting of potato flour, fresh pecorino,
and onion. Fried in oil. Bacchus:
another name for Dionysus, the Greek and Roman god of wine. Baci
di dama
(It.): lady's kisses (almond pastries). Backbone:
used to describe red wines that are big, full-bodied, well structured and
balanced by a desirable level of acidity. Backfin
crabmeat:
backfin is the white body meat including lump and large flakes. Used for
crab cakes and crab imperial. Back
ribs
(Butch.): these aren't very meaty, but the ribs are long and fun
to eat. They come in slabs containing several ribs. Grill the whole slab,
then cut them into individual ribs when you serve them. Allow 1/2 to 1
pound per person. A.k.a. rib bones, barbecue beef ribs, and Backs
sans couenne
(Fr.) (Butch.): boneless, rindless pork backs. Backward:
used to describe a wine that retains youthful characteristics despite considerable
aging. A wine that should be more developed than it is for its age. Bacon:
a very fatty slab taken from the underside of a pig. The bacon sold in
markets is usually cured and smoked, but it's also possible to buy uncured
fresh bacon. Smoked bacon is often fried and served with eggs or in sandwiches,
or it's sometimes wrapped around lean meats to keep them moist while they're
cooking. Baconique
(Fr.): an adjective used to be applied in Bacon
press:
a heavy metal kitchen utensil that is placed on top of fresh bacon to flatten
the bacon as it cooks, keeping it from curling. It is a kitchen tool that
is often used to retain the shape of the bacon and to speed up the cooking
process, as it keeps the meat directly on the cooking surface. When cooking
bacon, the bacon press can be preheated to assist with the cooking process.
This tool is typically made of cast iron with a spiral iron or hardwood
handle that remains cool during the cooking process. The cast iron should
be seasoned before use by coating the surface with cooking oil and heating
it for 30 minutes. Thereafter, the surface can be lightly coated with vegetable
oil to prevent rust from forming. Bacteria:
microscopic organisms. Some have beneficial properties, others can cause
food-borne illnesses when contaminated foods are ingested. Back
of the house:
generally the areas in restaurant or hotel not seen by customer. Also:
the kitchen. Chefs are “back-of-the-house”-staff, waiters are “front-of-the-house”-staff. Baddo:
see Taro. Badiane
(Fr.): star anise. Baeckeoffe,
baekaoffa, backaofa, backenoff:
baker's oven; stew of wine, beef, lamb, pork, potatoes, and onions; specialty
of Bael
fruit:
an East-Indian fruit of the citrus tribe, round to pear-shaped, three to
five inches in diameter, with smooth, grey or greenish-yellow rind, or
shell, and sweet, pale orange-colored, aromatic pulp of excellent flavor. Bagel
(Jew.): chewy bread with a hole in the middle - round, and 3-4 inches
in diameter. The Russians claim “bagel” is a Russian word. Well, so is
“pogrom”. Bagels can come with many types of toppings on it. Dough is boiled
then baked with toppings such as onion, garlic, poppy seeds etc. Flavors
can also be kneaded into the dough. On the U.S. East Coast usually used
as a breakfast bread but can also be used as a sandwich bread. Baggiano
(It.): fava bean, shelled and cooked fresh or dried and reconstituted
in water. Baggy:
off-taste. Often observed in cups from weakly roasted coffees that have
been stored for a long time in unsuitable conditions. Bagna
caudà
(Fr.): sauce of anchovies, olive oil, and garlic, for dipping raw
vegetables or bread; specialty of Nice. Unlike the French anchoïade,
this is served warm and is not emulsified. Bagna
cauda
(It.): literally translated, "hot bath", this is a typical sauce
of Bagnapan
(It.): seafood soup thickened with bread. Bagnèt
(It.): In a dialect of Bagnomaria
(It.): Bain-Marie. Bagnum
(It.): fresh anchovies cooked in tomato sauce, a specialty of Bagozzo:
sharp Grana cheese, a.k.a. Bresciano. Bagratin
(Fr.): fish soup with vegetables. Bagration:
the name of a Russian general who fought against Napoleon, which is given
to various dishes: Bagration soup, Bagration salad. Baguette
(Fr.): wand; classic long, thin loaf of bread. Baguette
au levain or à l'ancienne
(Fr.): sourdough baguette. Baguette
Laonnaise:
traditional, creamery, washed-rind cheese made from cow's milk in industrial
city of Baguette
pan:
a long metal pan shaped like two half-cylinders joined along one long side.
Each compartment is about 3 inches wide and 15 inches long. This pan is
used to bake French baguettes. Baharat
(Arab.): mixture of ginger, rose buds, and numerous spices. It's
often used to season meats. Bahmi
( Bahmi
goreng
(Indon.): dish with fried noodles, meat, vegetables and spices. Baie
(Fr.): berry. Baie
rose
(Fr.): pink peppercorn. Bai
fun:
see Bean threads. Baigné
(Fr.): bathed. Bailey’s:
Irish cream liqueur, made with Irish whiskey flavored with chocolate and
cream. Bain-Marie
(Fr.): a water bath used to cook foods gently by surrounding the
cooking vessel with simmering water. Also a set of nesting pots with single,
long handles used as a double boiler. Also, steam table inserts to keep
prepared foods and sauces hot prior to service, or cold-water bath to assist
cooling of food products below
4 degrees prior to refrigeration. Bairrada
DOC:
a region that is a major red wine producer in Baiser
(Fr.): the name given to two very small meringues joined together
with some fairly thick cream or other mixture in some regions of Bakar
(Isr.): beef. Bake:
to cook with dry heat. Bake
blind:
to partially or completely bake an unfilled pastry crust. Baked:
a perceptible roasted quality in grapes grown in hot climates. Baked:
a taste and odor taint that gives the coffee brew a flat bouquet and insipid
taste. The result of the roasting process proceeding with too little heat
over too long a period. Generally unpleasant characteristic of having an
over-baked taste in an over-heated coffee. Ranks in the following order
of intensity: cooked, baked or burnt. Baked Baker's
pin:
a type of rolling pin that consists of a single shaft of hardwood, such
as maple, that is typically a little larger than 1 inch in diameter and
approximately 15 to 18 inches in length. This utensil is most often used
when working with bread or pastry dough, however it can be used for a variety
of baking and other food preparation activities. Baker's
table:
table whose top has 4- to 6-inch-high curbing along the rear and sides
to minimize spillage of flour onto floor during preparation. Often furnished
with mobile or tilt-out ingredient bins under the top. Bakeware:
a term used to refer to various types of baking utensils. Each having one
common characteristic, which is they are all used to bake some type of
sweet or savory foods in the oven. Baking sheets are made of some type
of metal but baking pans and dishes can be metal, ceramic or glass, and
now silicone is being used to produce some of these items also. Bakeware
is available in many materials, shapes, and sizes. Some of the items that
are considered bakeware include: cookie sheets, cake pans, jelly-roll pans,
tube pans, loaf pans, muffin tins, bundt pans, brioche molds, springform
pans, tart pans, pie plates, square and rectangular bakers, round and oval
casseroles, ramekins, and pizza pans. There are many items that are considered
bakeware, some being very common to everyday use and some have very special
uses. Baking
pan:
available in a variety of shapes and sizes for baking specific cakes, cookies,
biscuits, breads, pies, and specialty goods. Most pans sold today are made
from light- to heavy-gauge steel, except for two-layer, insulated baking
pans, which are heavy-gauge aluminum. Baking
parchment:
also referred to as silicone paper, baking parchment is a non-stick paper
used to line tins or trays to prevent cake or biscuit mixtures from sticking
to the tin. Unlike greaseproof paper, baking parchment does not need to
be greased before use. Baking
powder:
a chemical leavener made with an acidic ingredient and an alkaline one;
most commonly these are sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and cream of tartar.
When exposed to liquid, it produces carbon dioxide gas, which leavens doughs
and batters. Double-acting baking powder contains ingredients that produce
two leavening reactions, one upon exposure to liquid, the second when heated. Baking
sheet:
a sheet of metal that is rigid and is used for baking cookies, breads,
biscuits, etc. It usually has one or more edges that are turned up for
ease in removing from the oven. Types include shiny, heavy-gauge aluminum,
the standard used in most test kitchens for even baking and browning. Darkened,
heavy-gauge pans will produce especially crisp exterior crusts desired
for specialty baked goods. Insulated baking sheets are two sheets of aluminum
with air space between. Baking
soda:
sodium bicarbonate, a leavening agent that may be used with an acidic ingredient
such as sour milk or as a component of baking powder. Baking
stone:
a round or rectangular plate of stone or unglazed, tile-like material used
to provide the baking qualities of a brick oven floor. The stone is placed
on the lowest oven rack. Follow the manufacturer's directions regarding
whether preheating the stone with the oven is recommended. The product
to be baked, usually pizza, or the product in its pan are placed on the
stone to bake. Baklava:
a very sweet Greek/Middle Eastern dessert made of layers of phyllo dough
filled with a mixture of ground nuts and sugar. The pastry is sliced, baked,
and brushed with a honey syrup flavored with lemon or rosewater. Balance:
harmony among a wine's components - fruit, acidity, tannins, alcohol; a
well-balanced wine possesses the various elements in proper proportion
to one another. Baldo
rice:
see Risotto. Balling:
one of several hydrometer or saccharometer scales denoting the density
of liquid (must, juice or new wine) in terms of specific gravity. Both
the Balling and Brix scales are identical and are usually used to
finely estimate sugar content in wine. Balloon
whisk:
a hand held wire whisk with several wire loops attached to a solid metal
handle. A balloon whisk can be used to introduce air into an ingredient
and so increase its volume e.g. egg whites or cream or to blend ingredients
into a smooth mixture e.g. sauces, dressings or batters. Balloon whisks
are available in a wide variety of sizes, for introducing air into ingredients
choose a larger whisk, tiny models are ideal for blending a small amount
of salad dressing or hot chocolate drinks. A good whisk should feel comfortable
in your hand when you are using it and the loops should be firmly attached
to the handle. Ballotine
(Fr.): dish in which forcemeat is stuffed back into the boneless
carcass from which the forcemeat was made. This may include fish, poultry,
game birds, or even some cuts of meat. The mixture is wrapped in muslin
and poached or braised. These dishes may be served hot or cold. Ballotte
(It.): chestnuts boiled and flavored with fennel or bay leaves. Ballottes
à la Niçoise
(Fr.): croquettes of chopped pot-au-feu leftovers, cooked
potatoes, persillade, and green shallots or chive, served with warm
tomato sauce. Balouza
(Jew., Arab.) : rose-flavored jelly, prepared with cornstarch
and water. Balouza
muhallabia
(Jew., Arab.) : rose-flavored jelly, prepared with cornstarch
and milk. Balsamico
extravecchio
(It.): real balsamic vinegar is always vecchio (old), but
the most flavorful and aromatic is extravecchio (extra-old). To get its
seal of extra-old approval, an extravecchio must be aged at least 25 years,
and sometimes up to 100 or more years (as opposed to the 12 years required
of a regular balsamico tradizionale). Balsamic
vinegar:
a wonderfully fragrant vinegar made from the juice of Trebbiano grapes
(red) or Spergola grapes (white). The juice is then heated and aged in
wooden barrels, evaporating and concentrating in flavor. The resulting
vinegar is deep rich brown with a sweet and sour flavor. Well aged balsamic
vinegars are very costly. Most balsamic vinegars found in the Balthazar:
see Bottle. Balti
( Bamboo
broom:
a normal short broom of bamboo sticks, widely used in Chinese kitchens
to clean the wok. Bamboo
shoots:
there are many different species of bamboo, not all edible. The inside
of the shoots is used as food after the tough outer leaves have been removed.
Except to a connaisseur, there is not an appreciable difference between
fresh and canned bamboo shoots, so if uncertain, use canned for ease and
safety. You can buy fresh shoots at some Chinese markets, but you must
boil them first to rid them of hydrocyanic acid, a toxin that causes cyanide
poisoning. Bamboo
steamer:
a special kind of steamer made from bamboo strips used in Chinese cooking
specially for steaming dim sums. Bamborino
(It.): beef flank. Bambuzene
di Santa Caterina
(It.): "St. Catherine's dolls," Bammy:
a pancake shaped, deep-fried cassava bread, which is aid to originate
with the Arawaks Indians. Bammy is commonly served with fried fish. Banadoura
(Arab.): tomatoes. Banana:
yellow bananas are ripe and ready to eat, while green ones will ripen at
room temperature in just a few days. Refrigerating ripe bananas will keep
them from getting softy and mushy, though the peels will darken. Most of
the bananas you and I have eaten in our lifetimes are the yellow Cavendish
bananas. The burro banana, a.k.a. chunkey, is shorter than the Cavendish,
and has an interesting lemony flavor. The manzano banana is smaller yet
and a bit drier, but it fits nicely into lunch boxes. The red banana has
a purple peel and is best used for baking. The plantain is larger than
other banana varieties, and is usually fried, baked, or mashed before eating. Banana
blossom:
this inflorescent vegetable is popular in Southeast Asia and India, where
they're boiled in water or coconut milk, then eaten like artichokes. Also:
banana flower. Banana
flower:
see Banana blossom. Banana
leaf:
used to wrap food for steam cooking, in African, South-American and South-East
Asian cuisines. Bananas
foster:
a dessert that consists of lengthwise-sliced bananas quickly sautéed
in a mixture of rum, brown sugar and banana liqueur and served with vanilla
ice cream. Banana
split:
dessert consisting of several scoops of ice cream and usually flavored
syrups, nuts, fruit, and whipped cream served on a banana that has been
split lengthwise. Also just served with ice cream and chocolate sauce. Banane
(Fr.): banana. Banbury
cake:
an oval flaky pastry filled with currants, lemon peel, and spices cake,
from Oxfordshire. Bandiera,
la –
(It.): Apulian dish made with arugula and basil, potatoes and pasta,
and tomato — symbolizing the three colors of the Italian flag (green, white,
red) also knows as il tricolore. Bandol:
wine region in southwestern Bangers:
British colloquial term for pork sausages. "Bangers and mash" are pork
sausages and mashed potatoes. Banh
( Banh
cuon
(Vietn.): a steamed filled dumpling where only the dough is teamed
then filled. The dough is made into a ball from rice flour and water then
rubbed over a cheese-cloth tautly stretched over a pot of boiling water.
As the steam cooks the "wrapper," it is pulled off, rolled up with a minced
filling of pork, shrimp, mushrooms and onions then dipped in hot sauce
before being eaten. Commonly made and served by street vendors or at market
stalls. Banh
hoi nem chua
(Vietn.): cooked rice noodles served with lobster. Banh
trang
(Vietn.): rice-paper wrappers made from rice flour, water, and salt.
These are moistened in warm water then quickly filled to be fried, or used
uncooked as wrappers for slivers of meat or fish and fresh herbs. Usually
dipping sauces are provided for the diners. Bannock
(Scot.): originally applied to bread, this term loosely describes
any large round scone or biscuit the size of a dinner plate. Made from
barley, wheat or oatmeal, varying according to region. Banon:
village in the Alps of the Provence, source of dried chestnut leaves traditionally
used to wrap goat cheese, which was washed with eau-de-vie and aged for
several months; today refers to various goat's-milk cheese or mixed goat-and
cow's-milk cheese from the region, sometimes wrapped in fresh green or
dried brown chestnut leaves and tied with raffia. Banquière,
à la
– (Fr.): a garnish used for chicken, calf's sweetbreads, vol-au-vent.
It is composed of quenelles, mushrooms, thin slivers of truffles and sauce
banquière. Banquet:
a formal meal for a large number of people ordinarily accompanied by speeches
or ceremony. Banquet
cart:
insulated or noninsulated mobile cabinet with a series of interior shelves
and/or racks to hold plates and/or platters of food. Usually equipped with
an electric heating unit or refrigeration device. Banquet
management and operations:
course in Culinary Arts. This course emphasizes the application of banquet
and catering principles. Serving and managing banquets will be emphasized.
American, Russian and Buffet services will be covered. Banquet sanitation
is also covered, including proper dish room operation. Students will be
required to demonstrate their proficiency by managing, serving and washing
dishes for on-premise banquets. Banyuls:
a French dessert wine made from late harvest Grenache grapes, which by
law must contain 15% alcohol. Banyuls is a small village with steep hillside
vineyards, above the Baobab
leaves:
African cooks use leaves from the massive baobab tree to thicken their
stews. Like okra, the leaves give the dish a slimy texture that's
characteristic of West African stews. Bao
Ji
(Chin.): stuffed steamed or baked buns (manapua). Bao
Yu
(Chin. [Mand.]): see Abalone. Bap:
an oval-shaped white bread roll with a soft floury crust and light inner
crumb, served for breakfast. Baqdounis
(Arab.): parsley. Baqlawa (Arab.):
see Baklava. Baqli
(Arab.): purslane. Bar
(Fr.): ocean fish, known as loup on the Mediterranean coast, louvine
or loubine in the southwest, and barreau in Bar
(It.): not a dark room for hard drinking, but rather an Italian
social institution where one can have coffee, juice, a glass of wine, a
stiff drink, a sandwich, or a sweet. You will find that a visit to a bar
several times a day will become a pleasurable part of your routine while
you are in Bar:
counter where alcoholic beverages are served. Also an establishment, sometimes
within a hotel or a cruise ship, where you can sit at a table to eat or
drink alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages. In Bara
Brith
(Welsh): a traditional fruit bread or cake. Bara
sushi:
sushi rice and ingredients mixed together, as a rice salad. Regional
to Kansai. Barbabietola
(It.): beets. Barbabietola
al pompelmo
(It.): salad of sliced beets, grapefruit, whole spinach leaves,
sour cream, salt and pepper. Barbados
cherry:
see Acerola. Barbagliata
(It.): espresso coffee mixed with cocoa, basically hot chocolate,
but in a more elaborate recipe that includes espresso coffee and a whipped
cream topping, invented by one Domenico Barbaja, a Barbantane:
a dessert wine made from grapes grown in the Barbantane region, a little
commune in the Bouches-du-Rhone. Barbaresco:
an excellent and respected red table wine made from the Nebbiolo grape
in the Piedmonte of Northwestern Italy. Barbarot:
this Italian wine from Emiglia Romagna shows a ruby red color, pretty transparent.
The nose reveals the typical aromas of Barbera grape with good correspondence
with the mouth. There can be perceived good and intense aromas of black
cherry, black fruit, raspberry, blueberry, black currant and hints of violet.
The attack in the mouth is pretty crisp, well balanced by alcohol and tannins.
A balanced wine, intense and with good body. The finish is persistent with
pleasing flavors of raspberry and blueberry. Barbecue:
a cooking method involving grilling food over a wood or charcoal fire.
Usually some sort of marinade or sauce is brushed on the item during cooking.
Rule of thumb, if the food is good: four servings per pound. On ribs it
is two to three servings per full slab. Barbecue
beef ribs
(Butch.): see Back ribs. Barbecue
sauce:
a highly seasoned tomato-base sauce. Barbera:
a noble red grape used to make hearty red wines in the Piedmonte of Northwestern
Italy and also in Barbio
(It.): barbel. Barbo
(It.): barbel. Barboteur
(Fr.): common French name for the domestic duck. Lit.: “paddler”. Barbouillade
(Fr.): stuffed eggplant, or an eggplant stew; also, a combination
of beans and artichokes. Barbue
(Fr.): brill, a flatfish related to turbot, found in the Barchette
alle acciughe
(It.): anchovy tartlets. Barchette
di astice con insalata di pesce
(It.): lobster nests with seafood salad. Barchette
di zucchine con ragù di pesce (It.):
courgette nests with fish sauce. Barco
Reale di Carmigniano:
this Bar
corkboard:
equipment below the top of a bar containing sinks, drain boards, cocktail
mix stations, ice storage chests, beverage coolers, glass washers, etc.
Also called sink work board. Barde
(Fr.): sliced back fat (pork). Barder
(Fr.): to bard. To cover poultry or meat with strips of uncured
bacon, to add moisture while cooking. The fat is usually tied on with butcher's
twine. Bardière
découennée
(Fr.) (Butch.): rindless back fat (pork). Bardolino:
a light, simple red wine from the Barigoule,
à la –
(Fr.): the French name for a style of dressing artichokes, in which
olive oil takes a prominent part. Barigoule is also the French botanical
name for a sort of edible mushroom. Barista
(It.): technically, someone who has been professionally trained
in the art of espresso preparation. The term is often used simply
to describe someone who excels at espresso making, regardless of their
training. And rightfully so. Bartender:
bartenders fill
drink orders either taken directly from patrons at the bar or through waiters
and waitresses who place drink orders for dining room customers. Bartenders
check identification of customers seated at the bar, to ensure they meet
the minimum age requirement for the purchase of alcohol and tobacco products.
They prepare mixed drinks, serve bottled or draught beer, and pour wine
or other beverages. Bartenders must know a wide range of drink recipes
and be able to mix drinks accurately, quickly, and without waste. Besides
mixing and serving drinks, bartenders stock and prepare garnishes for drinks;
maintain an adequate supply of ice, glasses, and other bar supplies; and
keep the bar area clean for customers. They also may collect payment, operate
the cash register, wash glassware and utensils, and serve food to customers
seated at the bar. Bartenders usually are responsible for ordering and
maintaining an inventory of liquor, mixes, and other bar supplies. Bartender
helper:
he assists waiters, waitresses, and bartenders by cleaning tables, removing
dirty dishes, and keeping serving areas stocked with supplies. Sometimes
called back waiter or runner, he brings meals out of the kitchen and assists
waiters and waitresses by distributing dishes to individual diners. He
also keeps the bar stocked with glasses, liquor, ice, and drink garnishes.
He keeps bar equipment clean and washes glasses. Barker:
see Aboyeur. Bar-le-Duc:
a choice currant preserve that at one time the preserve was made from white
currants whose tiny seeds were removed manually. Today it is made with
red and white currants as well as other berry fruits, and the seeds are
not generally removed by hand. The title " Barley
flour:
a low-gluten flour made from hulled barley. It imparts a sweet taste, moisture,
and relative lightness to cakes, cookies, and quick breads. Barley
malt:
a grain syrup made from sprouting barley, then toasting and grinding it.
This means of reducing a complex carbohydrate to a simple sugar results
in a subtle sweetener. Barmbrack
(Irl.): traditional Irish yeast-raised bread, full of dried fruit;
served sliced and buttered, it's a typical autumn treat, especially at
Halloween, when each brack will include a paper-wrapped ring. Barolo:
one of the most highly regarded Italian reds. Outstanding,
full-bodied and complex Nebbiolo based red wine from the Piedmonte of Northwestern
Italy. The wine is dark, high in tannin and alcohol and can improve with
decades of aging. Barolo,
al –
(It.): any dish cooked with red wine. Baron
(Fr.): hindquarters of lamb, including both legs (“legs and saddle”). Barone
d'agnello arrosto
(It.): roast baron of lamb. Bar
porter:
person who assists bartender by stocking, cleaning and maintaining
order of bar service area. Barquette
(Fr.): small boat; pastry shaped like a small boat, with sweet or
savory filling. Barracuda:
a.k.a.: Barracuda
(It.): luccio di mare. Bar
raye:
rock salmon. Barrica (Sp.):
the classic 225 liter wooden barrel, usually made from oak. In French:
barrique. Barsac:
sub region of Sauternes in Bartender:
person who mixes and serves drinks at a bar. Basar
lavan
(Isr.): pork. Basbousa
(Jew., Arab.) : semolina cake. Bas
de carrésans os
(Fr.) (Butch.): neck boneless (veal). Base:
the significant fermentable ingredients from which wine is made and its
flavor or aroma derived. Apple wine, for example, is made from a crushed
apple base. The base is also known as the fermentation media. Basic
principles of nutrition:
course in Culinary Arts. The basic principles of nutrition as they pertain
to the food service industry. The central focus is on the relationship
of food intake to the physical and mental wellbeing of the guest. Topics
covered include: what constitutes a healthy diet, the knowledge of nutrient
content, food additives, food fads, nutritional labeling, and nutritional
needs for special groups. Food service menus will be analyzed for their
nutritional value. Basic
tastes
(of coffee): sweet, sour, salt, and bitter. Characterized respectively
by sucrose, tartaric acid, sodium chloride, and quinine. Basil:
a member of the mint family, the fresh green leaves are full of flavor.
Crumbled and dried leaves are less aromatic. Associated with Italian cooking,
basil is used in chicken, fish and tomato dishes, pasta sauce and salads,
soups, stuffings, pesto sauce and salad dressings. Basilic
(Fr.): basil. Basilico
(It.): basil. Basket
roasting rack:
a kitchen utensil made with perforated metal formed in the shape of a half
circle or a "U" with handles on each end for ease of lifting and moving.
Typically made from metal coated with a non-stick surface, the basket roasting
rack allows drippings to fall to a roasting pan below and can be easily
cleaned when finished cooking. The U-shape cradles meat such as pork loins,
rolled roasts, whole birds, and also fish. Browning foods such as loins
or roasts occurs nicely with this type of rack enabling the fat and small
browned bits to drop into the pan. When used for a chicken or birds of
similar size, it works well as a means to keep the wings and legs next
to the body when cooking however, it is sized for birds that do not exceed
5 pounds in weight. Often referred to as a cradle roasting rack, this utensil
produces a very crisp skin when cooking poultry due to its ability to effectively
conduct heat around the bird. If it is used for fish, the best method is
to steam the fish, placing the rack in a pan that can be covered. Basquaise,
à la
(Fr.): Basque style; usually with ham or tomatoes or hot red peppers. Bass:
white fish with three types: sea, silver and striped. Basse
(Fr.) (Butch.): pistola cut forequarter (veal). Basse
côte
(Fr.) (Butch.): pony-bockrib (beef). Baste:
to moisten food during cooking with pan drippings, sauce, or other liquid.
Basting prevents food from drying out. Basting
bulb:
a long plastic or metal dropper with a large balloon end that can be used
to draw up the cooking juices from meat during cooking, the juices are
then poured over the meat to baste it. A basting bulb can also be used
to remove a layer of fat from the surface of sauces, soups or gravies or
from a roasting tin when roasting fatty birds such as goose or duck. Basting
brush:
a small round or flat shaped brush made with nylon, silicone or sterilized
natural bristles. The brush is used to apply glazing to breads, pastries,
cookies, meats, and poultry before or after baking. Bastoncini
al formaggio
(It.): cheese straws. Bastoncini
di cannella
(It.): cinnamon sticks. Bastoncini
di pesce
(It.): fish fingers. Bastoncini
di sfoglia alle acciughe
(It.): puff-pastry anchovy straws. Bâtard,
pain
(Fr.): bastard bread; traditional long, thin white loaf, larger
than a baguette. Batata:
see Boniato. Batatas
à moda do Alentejana
(Port.); potato gratin with speck, onions, garlic, and fresh,
chopped coriander. Batch
cooking:
cooking technique in which appropriately sized batches of food are prepared
several times throughout a service period so that a fresh supply of cooked
items is always available. Batinjaan
(Arab.): eggplant. Batiste:
see Boniato. Bâton
(Fr.): small white wand of bread, smaller than a baguette. Bâtonnet
(Fr.): garnish of vegetables cut into small sticks, somewhat larger
than allumette or julienne; 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch x 2 to 21/2
inches is the standard. Translated to English as "small stick." Batsoà
(It.): "Silk stockings," a Piedmontese dish of pig's feet in batter,
fried in butter. Batter:
a mixture of flour and liquid, with sometimes the inclusion of other ingredients.
Batters vary in thickness but are generally semi-liquid and thinner than
doughs. Used in such preparations as cakes, quick breads, pancakes, and
crepes. Batter
bread:
a yeasted bread that is not kneaded but stirred vigorously. The very thick
but viscose (pourable) batter produces a coarser crumb than a kneaded bread. Batterie
de cuisine
(Fr.): the equipment found in the kitchen. Batti-batti
di Batticarne (It.):
meat pounder. Battuta
(It.): a mixture of onion, garlic, fatback, and other ingredients
added for flavoring a stew or soup. If sautéed, it is called a soffritto. Batufolli
(It.): polenta balls prepared with meat sauce and Parmesan, traditionally
placed in a pyramid. Bauchant:
an orange liqueur. Baudroie
(Fr.): in the Provence, the name for monkfish or anglerfish, the
large, firm-fleshed ocean fish also known as lotte and gigot de met: also
a specialty of the Provence, a fish soup that includes potstoes, onions,
fresh mushrooms, garlic, fresh or dried orange zest, artichokes, tomatoes,
and herbs. Baudroie
à la Provençale
(Fr.): monkfish with black olives in tomato sauce. Baudroie
bourgeois (Fr.): monkfish cooked in bouillon with white wine,
with monkfish liver mayonnaise, served with croutons. Bauletta
(It.): small Mantuan bread roll or a cheese-and-ham stuffed ravioli
from Bauletti
con verdure e formaggio
(It.): vegetable & cheese pastries. Bava,
alla – (It.):
any dish in which cheese is melted into thin strands. Bavarese
di pomodori con salsa di finocchio
(It.): Bavarian tomato cream with fennel sauce. Bavarian
cream:
see Bavaroise. Bavaroise
(Fr.): cold dessert; a rich custard made with cream, eggs and gelatin. Bavette
(Fr.): skirt steak. Bavette;
Bavettine
(It.): pasta similar to linguine. These are long rods, narrower
than linguine but wider than spaghetti. They're best with light, delicate
sauces. Also called mezzo linguine. Bavette
aloyau
(Fr.) (Butch.): thin flank gooseskirt. Bavette
flanchet
(Fr.) (Butch.): flanck steak. Baveuse:
drooling; method of cooking an omelet so that it remains moist and juicy. Bavosa
(It.): blenny fish, usually cooked in soups. Bayd
(Arab.): eggs. Bay
boletus:
a wild mushroom of the ‘cep’ family is often found in areas where conifers
grow. Bay
leaves:
the large fresh or dried leaves of the aromatic bay laurel tree are one
of the oldest herbs used in cookery. Bay leaves are used to flavor soups,
stews, vegetables and meats. Also called laurel leaf, bay laurel and laurier. B&B:
see Bénédictine D.O.M. BBQ:
see Barbecue. B-Brite:
a powerful sterilizing compound excellent for equipment, but should never
be added to the must. One tablespoon to 1 gallon of water provides sufficient
potency. Unlike potassium metabisulfite and sodium metabisulfite, B-Brite
in solution may not be stored for future use, but must be made afresh each
time it is needed. Bean
curd:
see Tofu. Bean
curd cheese:
made by fermenting bean curd cubes in rice wine or salt. Available in two
forms - white, or the Bean
curd skin noodles:
these Chinese noodles are made from yuba, the skin that forms on soy milk
when it's heated. They're chewy and very nutritious. Bean
sprouts:
the young sprouts of the germinating mung bean. Bean sprouts are used extensively
as a vegetable in Chinese cooking and can be easily obtained fresh from
most western supermarkets. The crisp bean sprouts are used raw in salads
too. When used in stir fried dishes, try not to cook them more than twenty
seconds or they will lose their crunchiness. When buying, select crisp
sprouts with the buds attached; avoid musty-smelling and discolored ones.
Fresh sprouts will keep for about three days in the refrigerator in a plastic
bag. To keep longer, transfer to a sealed jar, immerse in cold water, and
refrigerate it. If water is changed every two or three days, they will
keep for up to a week. Canned bean sprouts are available too; however,
they neither the texture or taste of fresh. Bean
threads:
these slender, gelatinous noodles are widely used throughout Beany:
specific aroma of an insufficiently roasted coffee that has not been able
to develop its full aroma. Beard,
James
(1903-1985): celebrated chef, cookbook author, restaurateur, and culinary
educator. He was the driving force behind a mid-century revolution in American
gastronomy. Some quotes: "A gourmet who thinks of calories is like a tart
who looks at her watch" and “I don't like gourmet cooking or "this" cooking
or "that" cooking. I like good cooking.” Formed
in 1986, the James Beard Foundation was created by Julia Child and Peter
Kump to preserve the home of James Beard and his legacy as Béarnaise
(Fr.): classic tarragon-flavored sauce of egg yolks, butter, shallots,
white wine, vinegar; and herbs (like chervil). Similar to hollandaise. Beat:
to mix rapidly, smoothing the ingredients and adding air, using a wire
whisk, electric hand mixer or stand mixer. Béatille
(Fr.): tidbit; dish combining various organ meats. Beaufort:
this remarkable French cheese was already known in the time of the Romans.
It takes about 500 liters (130 gallons) of milk to make a Beaufort of 40
- 45 kg. The cheese is made from the milk given by the mahogany-colored
Beaufort cows, called the Tarines or Tarentaises. Beaufort cheeses come
in two versions, Beaufort d’été (summer Beaufort) and Beaufort
chalet d’alpage which is made in the mountain chalets. Beauharnais,
à la –
(Fr.): a method of preparing small cuts of meat, mainly tournedos.
The garnish consists of small artichoke hearts with Bearnaise sauce, with
a puree of tarragon added to it, and little potato balls. Beaumes-de-Venise:
a region in the Beaune:
small city in Beauvilliers,
Antoine (1754-1817):
a great cuisinier. He served as steward of the household to the Count of Beauvilliers
(Fr.): a garnish for braised meat served in a large cut. It consists
of spinach kromeskies, tomatoes stuffed with a puree of brains and salsify
sautéed in butter. Bec
(Fr.): a word often used in French colloquial expressions, such
as rincer le bec (to wet one's whistle), which means to drink; tortiller
du bec (to wolf down, make short work of food), which means to eat; fin
bec, which means a gourmet. Bécasse
(Fr.): woodcock. Bécassine
(Fr.): snipe. Beccaccia
(It.): woodcock. Beccaccino
(It.): snipe. Beccafico
(It.): warbler, a game bird. Also, a Sicilian stuffed eggplant dish. Béchamel
(Fr.): classical white sauce, made with butter, flour, and milk,
usually flavored with onion, bay leaf, pepper, and nutmeg. Beche
de mer
(Fr.): sea cucumber. Beciamella
(It.): see Béchamel. Bed
and breakfast:
lodging and breakfast offered in domestic setting by families in their
own homes. Beef
bones:
these are usually boiled with other ingredients to make a flavorful soup
base. The meatier the better. Beef
breast and flank
(Butch.): the breast and flank yield an assortment of cuts, including
the flank steak, skirt steak, hanger steak, brisket, and short ribs. Beefburger:
beef patty with onions served on a bun, usually with various condiments
and served with French fries. Beef
cart:
mobile unit, with or without bottled gas, alcohol, or electric heating
unit. Used for display and slicing of roast beef in the dining room. Beef
chuck
(Butch.): the chuck section comes from the shoulder and neck of
the beef, and it yields some of the most flavorful and economical cuts
of meat. The downside is that these cuts tend to be tough and fatty, and
they have more than their fair share of bone and gristle. It's
usually best to cook them slowly in a liquid. Beef
dripping:
dripping is the fat that drips from a joint during roasting, it is clarified
and forms a solid fat that is sold in blocks. Uses: in the past, dripping
was served as a spread and 'bread and dripping' was considered to be a
real treat after the traditional Sunday roast. Nowadays it is used mainly
as a cooking fat - either for shallow frying meat, as a roasting fat for
potatoes or to dot over a joint to keep it moist during cooking. Beefeater:
a brand of gin produced in the Beef
fillet:
the most tender cut of beef available and is cut from the centre of the
sirloin along the back of the animal. A boneless beef fillet joint may
be stuffed and roasted whole (when purchasing a beef fillet joint for roasting
allow 100 to 175g per person) but it is more commonly cut into individual
steaks. Fillet steaks are lean and tender round steaks cut across the sirloin. Beef
in Guinness
(Irl.): the Guinness in this recipe has the same function as the
wine in Coq au vin. Beef
jerky:
these chewy strips of dried beef don't need refrigeration, so they're popular
snacks for hikers and travelers. The biggest drawbacks are that they're
high in sodium, calories, and price. Beef
kidneys:
tougher than lamb or veal kidneys, so they need to be cooked slowly using
moist heat, say by braising them or adding them to a stew. To prepare them,
first cut off the outer membrane, then cut them lengthwise to expose a
white blob of fat in the middle, which should be discarded. Next, soak
the kidney in acidulated water or buttermilk for about an hour. This will
make the flavor much more mild. Beef
loin
(Butch.): the loin yields the most tender and expensive cuts of
beef, but not the most flavorful. The choicest portion is the tenderloin,
which is exquisitely tender and lean. The
top loin and sirloin aren't as tender, but they're a bit more flavorful.
Cuts from the loin require very little work to taste great. Indeed, steak
lovers consider it almost a sacrilege to marinate them, or to cook them
beyond medium rare. Beef
marrow:
the soft, fatty tissue found in the hollow center of animal leg bones.
It is considered a delicacy in many European countries and is the main
ingredient in Beef
pastrami
(Jew.): see Pastrami. Beef
round
(Butch.): the round is a kind term for the rear end of the carcass.
Those muscles are well exercised, so round cuts tends to be a bit tougher
and leaner than cuts from the loin. Round
cuts do well if they're cooked with moist heat, and many of them can also
be roasted, as long as they're not overcooked. Beef
shank:
this isn't a tender cut, but it's rich in flavor and great for making soups. Beef
Stroganoff:
named after 19th- century Russian diplomat Count Paul Stroganov, this dish
consists of thin slices of tender beef (usually tenderloin or top loin),
onions and sliced mushrooms, all quickly sautéed in butter and combined
with a sour-cream sauce. Beef Stroganoff is usually accompanied by rice
pilaf. Beef
tartare:
a dish coarsely ground or finely chopped high-quality, raw lean beef that
has been seasoned with salt, pepper, and herbs. Beef
tourtière
( Beef
Wellington:
fillet of beef that has been covered with pâté de foie gras
or duxelles, wrapped in pastry and baked. Beef
zingara:
a potted beef preserved in wine. Served with chicken livers, champignons,
egg, and vegetable. Beer
bean:
see Edamame. Beerenauslese:
quality rating for very sweet, rich, golden German dessert wines, made
mostly from overripe Riesling grapes. A German word meaning 'selected berry
picking'. Beers
Black:
see Black Mission. Beer
system:
a method for tapping beer from remote located refrigerated kegs and transporting
it through pressurized, refrigerated, and insulated lines to dispensing
heads located at one or more stations in the bar and/or backbar. Beet:
also: beetroot. Beets have a distinctive earthy flavor that's enhanced
by roasting, but they can also be steamed, microwaved, or boiled. A
beet will be more flavorful and colorful if you leave the peel and some
of the stem on while it's cooking. After
it's cooled down, the peel comes off fairly easily. Select beets that are
heavy for their size. Canned
beets are a good substitute for fresh. Beet
greens:
like their close relative, Swiss chard, beet greens have lots of flavor
and a good, sturdy texture. The best ones are young and tender, and sometimes
come with small beets attached. Beet
sugar:
sugar [sucrose] processed from the sugar beet plant. Beggar’s
button:
see Burdock. Beid
(Arab.): eggs. Beid
bi lamoun
(Arab.): egg and lemon soup. Beid
bi tom
(Arab.): fried eggs with garlic and lemon. Beid
hamine
(Arab.): slow cooked eggs. Beignet
(Fr.): fritter or doughnut made with pâté à
choux, which puffs up greatly when fried, and then dusted with powdered
sugar. Beignet
de fleur de courgette
(Fr.): batter-fried zucchini blossom; native to the Beitzim
(Isr.): eggs. Belgian
endive:
these crunchy, slightly bitter leaves are often used to make hors d'oeuvres,
but they can also be chopped and added to salads, or braised to make an
exquisite (and expensive) side dish. Select
heads with yellow tips; those with green tips are more bitter. Their
peak season is the late fall and winter. A.k.a. French endive, witloof,
witloof chicory, chicory (in Bella
di Cerignola:
large green olive from southern Bell
captain:
greets guests, trains and supervises all bellhops, door attendants,
and valet parking; also supervisor of bellpersons and other uniformed service
personnel. Belle
Hélène (poire)
(Fr.): classic dessert of chilled poached fruit (pear), served on
ice cream and topped with hot chocolate sauce. Bellelay:
a rich, semisoft cheese that has a flavor similar to that of gruyère. Bellhops:
usher arriving guests to their rooms and carry their luggage. Bell
peppers:
sweet-fleshed, bell-shaped members of the pepper family, enjoyed raw or
cooked. Unripe green and ripened red or yellow varieties are the most common.
Pale yellow, orange, and purple-black types are also available. Italian
peppers are slightly sweeter and more slender than regular peppers. Before
use, bell peppers must have their indigestible seeds removed. Often the
peppers are roasted, which loosens their skins for peeling and enhances
their natural sweetness. Also: capsicums. Bellstand:
bellperson’s desk located in lobby close to and visible form front desk. Belon
(Fr.): river in Belondines
(Fr.): Bel
Paese:
a creamy, light Italian cheese with a mild, sweet flavor. Used as a spread
or in cooking as it melts well. Bel Paese is from the Beluga
caviar:
in recent years, over-fishing in the Bench
proof:
in yeast dough production, the rising stage that occurs after the dough
is panned and just before baking. Ben
cotto
(It.): cooked well done. Bénédictine
D.O.M.:
this light green liqueur was first produced in the 16th century by a French
monk, who combined various herbs, spices, and peels with brandy. It's somewhat
sweet by itself, so many people cut it with brandy or buy B&B, which
is premixed Bénédictine and brandy. The letters D.O.M. stand
for Deo Optimo Maximo (To God, the best and greatest), which is the Bénédictine
motto. Beng:
see Curry house. Benne
seed:
see Sesame seed. Bensone (It.):
lemon-flavored sponge cake, from Bento
(Jap.): a take-out picnic meal. Bentonite:
a very fine clay used as a fining or clarifying agent in wine to remove
protein, to achieve heat stabilization or to remove another fining
agent. BEP:
Brevet d’Etudes Professionelles, i.e. BEP-restauration and BEP-hôtellerie. Berawecka,
bierewecke, bireweck, birewecka:
dense, moist Christmas fruit bread stuffed with dried pears, figs, and
nuts; specialty of Kaysersberg, a village in Berbere:
a spice blend containing garlic, red pepper, cardamom, coriander, fenugreek,
and various other spices. Berchoux,
Joseph
(1765-1839): he was a Justice of the Peace judge who wrote the book
Gastronomie ou l'homme des champs à table in 1801. It was the
first time the word “Gastronomie” appeared in the French language,
so we might say Berchoux invented the concept. Bercy
(Fr.): fish stock-based sauce thickened with flour and butter and
flavored with white wine and shallots. Bercy
(It.): Bercy butter (with beef bone marrow, shallots and parsley). Bere
(It.): to drink. Berenjena
(Sp.): eggplant. Bergamot
(thé a la bergamote)
(Fr.): name for both a variety of orange and of pear; (the essential
oil of the Bergamot orange is used to flavor Earl Grey tea.). Berliner-style
sausage:
cooked, smoked sausage, made of cured, coarsely ground pork and some mildly
cured, finely chopped beef; contains no seasoning other than sugar and
salt; available in rolls or packaged slices. Berlinesi
(It.): see Krapfen. Berlingozzo
(It.): cake flavored with anise, from Bermuda
onion:
a large sweet onion with several regional names. Also known as Spanish
onion. They're available in the spring. Bernard,
Emile:
a famous chef of the nineteenth century who practiced his art at the court
of Wilhelm I, Berrichonne
(Fr.): garnish of bruised cabbage, glazed baby onions, chestnuts,
and lean bacon named for the old Berro
(Sp.): watercress. Berrylike:
like the ripe, sweet, fruity quality of raspberries, blackberries, cranberries
and cherries. The aroma and taste of red wines, usually Zinfandel, are
often partly described with this term. Bertagnin (It.):
salt cod. See Baccala' bacala'. Berza
(Sp.): cabbage. Besaigre
(Fr.): the technical term used to indicate that a wine is beginning
to turn sour. Besan
( Besugo
al horno
(Sp.): baked sea bream. Besugo
daurade
(Fr.): sea bream from the southwest of Betabel
(Sp.): beet. Betel
leaf:
the Vietnamese wrap beef in these leaves, while others chew them like gum.
Also: pupulu. Bette
(Fr.): see Blette. Betterave
(Fr.): beet. Beurre
(Fr.): butter. Beurre
demi-sel
(Fr.): butter (lightly salted). Beurre
blanc
(Fr.): classic reduced sauce of vinegar; white wine, shallots, and
butter Beurre
cru
(Fr.): raw cream butter. Beurre
des Charentes
(Fr.): finest French butter, from the region of Poitou Charentes
along the Atlantic coast. Beurre
de Montpellier
(Fr.): classic butter sauce seasoned with olive oil, herbs, garlic,
and anchovies. Beurre
du cru
(Fr.): butter given the appellation d'origine contrôlée
pedigree. Beurre
Echiré
(Fr.): brand of the finest French butter, preferred by French chefs,
with an AOC pedigree, from the region of Poitou-Charentes along the Atlantic
coast. Beurre
manié (Fr.): "kneaded butter." A mixture of equal
parts by weight of whole butter and flour, used to thicken gravies and
sauces. Beurre
noir
(Fr.): sauce of browned butter, lemon juice or vinegar, parsley,
and sometimes capers; traditionally served with raie, or skate. Beurre
noisette
(Fr.): lightly browned butter. Beurre
vierge
(Fr.): whipped butter sauce with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Bevande
(It.): beverages, drinks. Bevande
analcolica
(It.): non-alcoholic drinks. Bhet
( Bialy:
similar to a bagel, in that it is a round, chewy roll. But it is unlike
a bagel in two important ways: One, it does not have a hole in the middle,
but a depression; and two, it never became popular outside of New York
City. The indentation in the middle of the dough is filled with either
onion, garlic, or poppy seeds. As the bialy has a very short shelf life,
about six hours, they do not lend to being shipped around the country.
They can be modest in size, three to four inches, or the size of a small
pizza. The bialy came to the Bianchetti
(It.): anchovy or whitefish spawn, usually boiled or fried. Bianchetto
(It.): blanquette (white stew). Bianchetto
di agnello
(It.): blanquette of lamb. Bianchetto
di vitello (It.): blanquette of veal. Bianchi
di spagna
(It.): large white kidney beans. Bianco
Avignonesi:
this white wine from Bianco
di Custoza:
this white wine from Biancomangiare
(It.): blancmange. Bibb
lettuce:
this butterhead lettuce has delicate, loose leaves and lots of flavor. The
only downside is that it's usually expensive. Also: limestone lettuce. Bibelskäs,
bibbelskäse:
fresh cheese seasoned with horseradish, herbs, and spices; specialty of Bibimbop:
classic dish of rice and mixed vegetables topped with an egg and served
in a heated stone bowl. Bibita
(It.): soft drink. Bibita
alla spina
(It.): soda fountain drink. Bicchiere
(It.): drinking glass. Bicchiere
graduate
(It.): measuring jug. Bicchierino
(It.): paper cup for ice cream. Bicerin
(It.): Piedmontese beverage made with chocolate, coffee and milk. Biche
(Fr.): female deer. Bieda
(It.): chard. Bien
cuit(e)
(Fr.): cooked well done. Bière
(en bouteille, à la pression)
(Fr.): beer (bottled, on tap). Bierwurst
( Bietola
(It.): Swiss chard, which is probably not Swiss but native to Bifteck
(Fr.): steak. Big:
powerful in aroma and flavor; a full-bodied wine. Biga
(It.): a starter made for bread from flour, yeast and water. Bigarade
(Fr.): orange sauce, usually served with duck. Biggareau
(Fr.): red firm-fleshed variety of cherry. Bigio
(It.): bread loaf made with both white and whole wheat flours. Bignè
al fegato d'oca
(It.): goose foie gras puffs. Bignè
al formaggio
(It.): cheese puffs. Bignè
alle acciughe
(It.): anchovy puffs. Bignè
al salmone
(It.): salmon puffs. Bignè
con spuma di prosciutto
(It.): ham mousse puffs. Bigoli
(It.): long, spaghetti-like dry pasta with a hole in the center.
Traditionally they were made with buckwheat flour, but are more commonly
made with whole wheat flour now. This Venetian pasta is good with shellfish,
beans, or hearty meat sauces. Bigoli
con l’anara
(It.): whole weat bigoli with duck. Bigoli
con le sardelle
(It.): bigoli with anchovies, in a simple sauce of onion,
olive oil, salt and pepper. Bigoli
in cassopipa
(It.): bigoli with a spicy shellfish sauce. Bigorneau
(Fr.): periwinkle, tiny sea snail. Bigoudène,
à la
(Fr.): in the style of Bigouden, a province in Bihun
(Indon.): thin rice vermicelli. In Cantonese it’s called mai funn,
in mandarin mi fen. Bihun Bilberry:
this small, tart berry is the European counterpart to the American blueberry. Bilberries
are usually made into preserves. A.k.a. whortleberry, blaeberry, and whinberry. Billy
Bi, Billy By
(Fr.): cream of mussel soup, specialty of the Atlantic coast. Binder:
an ingredient or appareil used to thicken a sauce or hold together another
mixture of ingredients. Biodynamic:
food products produced by an advanced organic farming method. No growth
hormones, drugs or chemicals (dipping or otherwise) are used and the animals
are not subjected to stress. Biova
(It.): Piedmontese lard bread. Bird’s
eye chilies:
a general term for tiny chilies that are extremely pungent and spicy. Sometimes
used to describe Thai chilies that are, paradoxically, Mexican in origin. Bird's
nest soup:
congealed bird saliva, cooked in chicken broth. These highly prized nests
are built and clung to the ceiling of the caves as high as 70m by the birds
mostly of seaweed that is mixed by their own saliva, making the process
of harvesting an ordeal and expensive. Swiflets nests are mostly found
on cliffs in areas along the Southern Chinese coast and Biologique
(Fr.): organic. Biroldo
(It.): a type of fresh Tuscan blood sausage with raisins and pine
nuts.. Birra (It.):
beer. Birra
al doppio malto
(It.): double malt beer. Birra
alla spina
(It.): draught beer. Birra
analcolica
(It.): non-alcoholic beer. Birra
chiara
(It.): light beer (pale ale). Birra
estera
(It.): imported beer. Birra
in bottiglia
(It.): bottled beer. Birra
leggera
(It.): light beer (lager). Birra
rossa
(It.): dark beer (bitter). Birra
scura
(It.): dark beer (stout). Birreria
(It.): brewery or a place that serves beer. Bisato
(It.): Venetian dialect for eel. Bishak
(Jew.): pastry from Bisna
(It.): polenta made with beans, sauerkraut, and onion. Biscotti (It.):
generic term for cookies; also dry Italian cookies flavored with almonds,
chocolate, or anise seed, used for dunking in coffee and sweet dessert
wine. Biscotti
salati alle erbe
(It.): salted cookies with herbs. Biscuit
à la cuillère
(Fr.): ladyfinger. Bisque
(Fr.): a soup based on crustaceans or a vegetable puree. It is classically
thickened with rice and usually finished with cream. Bistecca
(It.): steak. Bistecca
alla Bismarck
(It.): Bistecca
alla Fiorentina
(It.): grilled sirloin steak. The epitome of steak, Florentine steak
is a hefty T-bone cut of Chianina beef, named after the Val di Chiana where
these cows are raised. The meat is not fatty and more flavorful than other
types of meat. To prepare the steak, the meat is grilled quickly over charcoal
and seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. For best results,
it should be 2" thick. Bistecca
alla pizzaiola
(It.): steak in tomato sauce. Bistecca
alla tartara
(It.): steak tartare. Bistecca
di maiale affumicata alla brace (It.):
charcoal grilled smoked pork cutlet. Bistecca
di manzo
(It.): beef steak. Bistecca
di pesce spada
(It.): swordfish steak. Bistecca
di vitello
(It.): veal steak. Bistecca
di vitello macinata (It.): ground-veal steak. Bistecca
farcita con formaggio (It.):
steak filled with cheese. Bistecche
ai pinoli
(It.): thick roast beef slices, in a sauce with pine nuts, butter,
milk and a bit curry, topped with chive. Traditional from Bistec
de ternera
(Sp.): veal steak. Bistella:
see Pastilla. Bistro (Fr.):
means "pub". A small cafe, usually serfing modest, down-to-earth food and
wine. Bistrotier
(Fr.): bistro owner. Bite:
a marked degree of acidity or tannin. An acid 'grip' in the finish which
should be like a zestful tang and is favorable only in red full-bodied
wine. Bitter:
usually considered a fault, but characteristic of such wines as Amarone
and certain other Italian reds. Bitter
(coffee): a basic taste characterized by solution of quinine, caffeine,
and certain other alkaloids. Perceived primarily at the back of the tongue.
Generally normal characteristics of coffees connected with their chemical
constitution, influenced by degree of roasting and the method of preparing
the brew. Canephora are more bitter than arabica coffees. A desirable
characteristic at a certain level. Bitter
cassava:
see Cassava. Bittersweet
chocolate:
often used in cake and cookie recipes. Bittersweet or semisweet chocolates
are often used interchangeably, though bittersweet generally has more chocolate
liquor, a paste formed from roasted, ground cocoa beans. Semisweet chocolate
contains at least 35% chocolate liquor while finer bittersweet chocolates
contain 50% or more chocolate liquor. Both chocolates have a deep, smooth,
intense flavor that comes from the blend of cocoa beans to dairy products.
Sugar, vanilla, and cocoa butter are added to the chocolate liquor to create
an even richer chocolate flavor. Bitto
(It.): soft cow’s milk cheese, from Valtellina ( Bivalve:
a mollusk with two hinged shells. Examples are clams and oysters. Blachan:
a pungent shrimp paste used in very small amounts as seasoning in Thai
soups and curries. Black
beans:
dead coffee beans that have dropped from the trees before harvesting. Used
as the basic unit for counting imperfections in grading coffee on the New
York Coffee Exchange. Has a detrimental effect on coffee taste. Black
beans sauce:
fermented black beans with ginger, garlic, rice wine and other ingredients.
In Chinese kitchens often used instead of soy sauce, when a thicker sauce
is required. Ideal for meat, poultry and vegetables. Blackberry:
these would be excellent berries were it not for their rather large seeds.
They're still great for eating out of hand, but cooks often strain out
the seeds when making pies and preserves. Select berries that are free
of mold, and as black as possible. They arrive in markets in the summer.
Also: bramble. Black
bream:
a dark grey sea fish, served filleted, baked or stuffed. Black
butter:
butter browned with added lemon juice and parsley, served with fish, like
plaice or skate. Black
cumin:
also: kali jeera. A rare variety, smaller and sweeter than regular cumin.
Preferred in Black
currant:
the predominant aroma in Cabernet grapes. These are too tart to eat out
of hand, but they're often used to make syrups, preserves, and the liqueur
cassis. Frozen are a good substitute for fresh. Also: cassis. Blackened:
cooking term describing meat that has been seared on outside so as to form
crispy black crust, usually enhanced by highly spiced condiment. (Cajun). Black-eyed
peas:
these white kidney shaped beans with a black “eye” are available dried
or canned. Blackfish: a.k.a.
Chinese steelhead, black trout, black ruff, tautog, black porgy, oysterfish,
chowderfish. The mottled, off-white flesh is meaty yet lean, firm-textured,
and mildly flavorful. Be aware: a network of tiny fine bones runs through
the meat. Sold
as whole fish, fillets, and steaks. Best cooking: blackfish grills and
bakes well and is excellent in soups, stews, and chowders, as the meat
does not flake or fall apart easily. Always remove the tough skin, which
is not edible. Try to buy skinless fillets or steaks, as removing the inedible
skin yourself can be difficult. Look for pure white meat that shines reflectively;
check for browning and signs of dryness. Blackfish flesh is meaty, as is
the flesh of all fish that feed on shellfish. (Blackfish eat clams, muscles,
and crustaceans.) Black Black Black
muscat wine:
a late harvest dessert wine made with black muscat grapes and sometimes
fortified with brandy. Unlike many dessert wines, it goes well with chocolate. Black
olives:
the ripe, small fruits of trees that are native to Mediterranean Europe.
Ripe black olives such as French Niçoise, Greek Kalamata, or Italian
Gaeta varieties are cured in salt, seasonings, brines, vinegars, and oils
and have a pungent flavor. Moroccan olives are ripe fruits that have first
been dried in the sun, then packed in oil. Large pitted black olives are
available canned. Cured black olives are sold by the pound and in bottles
or cans. Black
oyster:
see Salsify. Black
pasta:
this is pasta flavored with squid or cuttlefish ink, which turns it black.
It's best served with shellfish. A.k.a. squid-ink pasta, and pasta nera. Black
pepper:
whole dried black peppercorns colors used as a seasoning. Black
pudding:
a large sausage made from pigs blood, suet and seasonings. It is traditionally
sautéed and served with mashed potatoes. Also: marag. Black
salsify:
see Salsify. Black
sapote:
see Sapote. Blackstrap
molasses:
unrefined molasses that produces a bitter flavor. Is a type of molasses
that is generally used as animal feed or biological (fermentation) feed
stock. The by-product of sugar extraction from sugar containing liquors. Black
tea:
the most common form of tea worldwide. prepared from green tea leaves which
have been allowed to oxidize, or ferment, to form a reddish brew. Black
tie:
(1) a black bow tie worn with a dinner jacket. (2) evening wear
typically for men, usually requiring a dinner jacket. Black tie means formal.
Women wear cocktail, long dresses or dressy evening separates. “Black tie
optional” or “black tie invited” means you have the option of wearing a
dinner jacket, but it should clue you into the formality of the event,
meaning a dark suit and tie would be your other option. See also: white
tie. Black
truffles:
funghi that grow near the roots of trees. This prized fungus has
a round, irregular shape with a thick, rough, wrinkled skin that is very
dark brown in color. The black truffles that come from Black
trumpet:
trumpet-shaped mushroom that ranges from 2-5 inches high. They are distinctively
aromatic and have an elegant buttery flavor. Blade
pork steak
(Butch.): see Pork blade stake. Blade
roast
(Butch.): this makes a good pot roast, but it's too tough to cook
using dry heat. A.k.a. blade pot roast and blade chuck roast. Blade
chuck roast
(Butch.): see Blade roast. Blade
pot roast
(Butch.): see Blade roast. Blaeberry:
see Bilberry. Blah
( Blanc
(de poireau)
(Fr.): white portion (of leek). Blanc
(de volaille)
(Fr.): usually breast (of chicken). Blanc
de Blancs:
'white of whites', meaning a white wine made of white grapes, such as Blanc
de Noirs:
'white of blacks' a white or blush wine made of dark (red or black) grapes,
where the juice is squeezed from the grapes and fermented without skin
contact. Blanch:
see Blancher. Blanche:
a fig cultivar. A.k.a. Italian Honey fig, Lattarula, Lemon, and
White Marseille. Medium to large, skin yellowish green, flesh white to
amber, very sweet, lemon flavor. Blancher
(Fr.): blanch. To cook food briefly in boiling water, or bouillon,
before finishing or storing it. Many recipes call for crisper, more dense
vegetables to be blanched, especially before stir-frying. There are several
reasons for doing this: it helps seal in the color, flavor and nutrients
of the vegetables. (Green vegetables turn a wonderful bright green when
blanched). Blanching
crisper, denser vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower cuts down on the
amount of time they need to be stir-fried. This means they can be added
to the stir-fry with less dense vegetables and everything will be cooked
at the same time. A shorter stir-frying time means blanched vegetables
absorb less oil. Vegetables with a high water content can release enough
water during cooking to affect the taste of a sauce. It's also a way to
loosen the skins of soft vegetables, such as tomatoes, making them easier
to remove. Also, in Chinese kitchens meat and poultry are sometimes blanched
in bouillon before being stir-fried, to save time. The meat is usually
refrigerated and by blanching it briefly before stir-frying it, the hot
oil or fat won’t cool down. Blanching
chicory:
see Belgian endive. Blanc-manger
(Fr.): chilled pudding of almond milk with gelatin. Bland:
lacking coffee flavor and characteristics. A primary coffee taste sensation
created as the sugars in the coffee combine with the salts to reduce the
overall saltiness of the coffee. Found most often in washed arabica coffees
grown at elevations below 2,000 feet, such as a Guatemalan. Bland coffees
range from soft to neutral. Blanquette
(Fr.): classic mild stew of poached veal, lamb, chicken, or seafood,
enriched with an egg and cream white sauce; supposedly a dish for convalescents. Blast
chiller:
a refrigeration unit with circulating air capable of rapidly reducing the
temperature of hot foods. Bleached
flour:
refers to flour that has been bleached chemically to whiten or improve
the baking qualities. No change occurs in the nutritional value of the
flour and no harmful chemical residues remain. It is a process that speeds
up the natural lightening and maturing of flour. Blehat (Arab.):
fishballs in tomato sauce. It can be served with couscous or rice, or cold
with bread. Blehat
lahma
(Arab.): lamb loaves with apricot and egg. Blehat
samak
(Arab.): fish risolles. Blend:
preparation method that combines ingredients with a spoon, beater or liquefier
to achieve a uniform mixture. Blended
Scotch:
such a whisky contains a variable proportion of blended malt and grain
whiskies, commonly about 40% malt and 60% grain. A good quality blend may
contain more than
40% malt, a cheap one much less. Many malts may be incorporated in the
blend to provide bulk then fine elements of the final taste ("top dressing"). Blender:
electric liquefier with a glass or plastic vessel. A set of rotary blades
is attached to the base of the vessel and rapidly reduces most ingredients
to a smooth, or blended consistency. Blending:
a winemakers task, taking wines from different lots or barrels and blending
them together for bottling. Traditional and regional laws and regulations
dictate what particular grape varieties may be blended together to produce
a specific wine. It is the winemakers decision on the percentages of each
to use, with vintage often playing a crucial role in this equation. Blé
(noir)
(Fr.): wheat (buckwheat). Blette,
bette
(Fr.): Swiss chard, usually prepared à la Provençale. Bleu
(Fr.): blue; cooked rare, usually for steak. See also Truite
au bleu. Bleu
d'Auvergne
(Fr.): a strong, firm and moist, flattened cylinder of blue-veined
cheese made from cow's milk in the Bleu
de Bresse
(Fr.): a cylinder of mild blue-veined cow's-milk cheese from the
Bresse area in the Rhône-Alps region; industrially made. It's a safe
but unexciting cheese to serve company. Bleu
de Gex
(Fr.): thick, savory blue-veined disc of cow's-milk cheese from
the Jura; made in only a handful of small dairies in the département
of the Ain. The difference of this cheese from other "blues" is that it
is considerably heavier and the taste is less pronounced with a perfumed
and slightly bitter savor. The local people eat this cheese with boiled
potatoes. Bleu
des Causses
(Fr.): a firm, pungent, flat cylinder of blue-veined cow's-milk
cheese, cured in cellars similar to those used in making Roquefort. Blini
(Rus.): small, silver dollar sized, yeast raised buckwheat pancake,
usually eaten with caviar and sour cream. Blintz (Jew.):
a stuffed crepe or thin pancake. The filling is usually made of a fresh
cheese or cottage cheese, and often topped with fresh fruit or fruit preserves. Blondie:
brownie with butterscotch and vanilla, instead of chocolate. Blond
(Fr.): is used by cooks as applied to stock made from white meats,
such as from veal - blond de veau; or the pale stock of lamb - blond d'agneau;
chicken stock - blond de volaille. Sauce blonde is a white or cream coloured
sauce made with flour and butter, answering to our "melted butter." Blondir
(Fr.): browning very lightly any substance fried in butter, oil,
or some other fat. The term faire blondir also describes the cooking
of flour and butter mixture, which constitues a light roux. Blood
sausage:
cooked sausage. Diced, cooked fat pork, finely ground cooked meat, and
gelatin-producing materials mixed with beef blood and spices. Blood
and tongue sausage:
cooked sausage. Cooked lamb and pork tongues are arranged lengthwise in
the center of a roll of blood sausage. Blood
orange:
pigmented orange. These red-fleshed oranges are more popular in Bloody
Mary:
a popular cocktail made with tomato juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, Bloom:
a dusty coating on grapes and most other fruit, composed of dust, wild
yeast, bacteria, and fungal spores. Often, but not always, a waxy substance
on grape, plum, cherry, and apple skins containing the same substances. Blower-dryer:
motor-driven attachment with a blower and electric- or steam-heated coil,
mounted on top of a dishwasher for quick drying of ware at the end of the
final rinse cycle. Blow-off
tube:
a venting tube exiting a bung and either fitted with a valve or seated
in a sulfite solution. When a demijohn or carboy is used as a primary fermentation
vessel, the blow-off tube allows foam formed during the initial, violent
period of fermentation to escape without disturbing the integrity of the
airlock. Blue:
American soft cheese, sharp, tangy, salty, peppery, earthy flavor that
intensifies with age, white or pale yellow body with blue/green veins,
melts well when crumbled. Blueberry:
blueberries are small and sturdy, so they're perfect for tossing into cakes,
muffins, cereal bowls, and fruit salads. Like other berries, they also
make good preserves and tarts. Select
firm, dark berries that have a whitish bloom on them. You can find fresh
blueberries in the summer, but frozen blueberries are available year-round
and work well in many recipes. They're
very perishable, so keep them refrigerated and use them as soon as possible.
You can also buy blueberries frozen, dried, or canned. Frozen berries get
a little mushy after they're defrosted, but they'll work well in many recipes. Blue
Celeste:
see Celeste. Blue
cheese:
blue-veined cheese. Many centuries ago, cheese was left to age in some
moldy cave and became streaked with bluish-green mold. But rather than
spoiling the cheese, the mold gave it a pungent and distinctive flavor,
and blue cheese was born. Since then, cheese-makers learned to inject or
stir mold spores into different cheeses, and many still use caves to age
them. Blue cheese, either crumbled or in a dressing, nicely balances bitter
greens in salads. You can also pair it with bread, crackers, or fruit for
an appetizer, or let it melt on pasta or grilled meats. Blue cheeses vary
in pungency, we'd serve a mild blue cheese like Cambozola at a neighborhood
get-together, and a more pungent blue like Saint Agur or Cabrales
to fellow foodies that we’re trying to impress. Stilton is the most
renown blue cheese, and a reliable party-pleaser. Blue cheeses grow more
pungent with age or mishandling, and it's best to use them within a few
days of purchase. Like almost all cheeses, blues should be brought to room
temperature before serving. Blue
Curaçao:
a blue colored liqueur made from orange peels. Bluefish:
a.k.a. snapper, chopper, tailor. The edible skin is usually left on the
flesh, which ranges in color from white to silver-gray. The meat is rich
and fatty with a fine, soft texture and long flake. The flavor is mild
on the day of the catch yet gains in strength a day or two later. Sold
as whole, fillets, steaks. Best cooking: first, remove the dark, oily strip
of flesh that runs down the center of the fish, which can infuse the meat
with a powerfully fishy flavor when it's cooked (you can ask your fishmonger
to do this for you). Bluefish is excellent baked or broiled, or wrapped
in foil and grilled over an open fire. (If preparing whole fish, it's a
good idea to marinate it). It's also well suited for roasting and pan-frying,
and for stir-frying in flour-dredged chunks. Its rich meat smokes well.
Bluefish is not recommended for stews, soups, or chowders, since the meat
falls apart easily. Whole fish should look alive, smell fresh and clean,
and be displayed over ice. Fillets should glisten. Keep the fish well iced
until cooking (natural oils in the flesh turn rancid when the internal
temperature of the fish rises). Bluefish does not freeze or travel well,
and is best purchased locally when in season. Bluefish, especially larger
specimens (over 6 lbs.), have been associated with high levels of PCBs.
Most are considered safe, although as a precaution it's a good idea to
discard the skin and to remove the strip of dark meat that runs down the
center of the fillet. Blue Blue
points:
small oysters served raw on the half-shell. Blunt:
wine strong in flavor, often alcoholic and contrarily lacking in aromatic
interest and fine development on the palate. Blush
wine:
see Rosé. Bo
(Vietn.): beef. Boal
(or Bual) (Port.): one of the top grape varieties grown on the Boar:
meat similar to pork, only leaner, redder, and stronger-tasting. Make sure
you cook it thoroughly, it's possible to contract trichinosis from undercooked
boar meat. Board:
a rectangular or round board, small for easy handling, set on a hard surface
or counter top, to prevent dulling of the knife blade when cutting food.
It can be made of lami-nated or solid hard rock maple or of rubber or thermal
plastic material. Usually furnished with a handle or grip. Bobici
(It.): Friulian bean, potato, corn and ham soup. Bobotie:
a popular South African dish made of minced lamb and/or beef mixed with
bread, rice or mashed potatoes, onions, garlic and curry powder. The ingredients
are blended with an egg-and-milk mixture before being baked. Partway through
the baking process additional egg-milk mixture is poured over the top. Bocca
di dama (It.):
"Lady's mouth," sponge cake. Bocca
d'oro
(It.): "Golden mouth," croaker fish. Bocca
nera
(It.): "Black mouth," dogfish. Boccon
(It.): a style of pasta from Bocconcini:
a fresh Mozzarella that comes in various sizes, packed in either water
or brine. Other fresh mozzarella, such as Fiore di Latte Trecce, etc. are
Bocconcini in different shapes. Bocconcini
ai gamberetti
(It.): shrimp bites. Bocconcini
alla selvaggina (It.):
game bites. Bocconcini
al pollo
(It.): chicken bites. Bocconcini
di polenta con funghi
(It.): polenta bites with mushroom. Bocconcino (It.):
any bite-sized food, as the word simply means little mouthful; most often
used for stewed veal; little fried rolls or balls of veal, ham, and cheese;
small oval Fiore di Latte cheeses. See Bocconcini. Bochet:
see Mead. Bockwurst:
similar in taste to frankfurter. Bockwurst is made with veal and
pork and is available fresh and cooked. Bodega (Sp.):
winery or cellar. Bodeguero
(Sp.): the owner or manager of a bodega. Bodino
(It.): baked veal stuffed with layers of vegetables and prosciutto.
Also: budino. Bodum:
trade name of a specific brand of French press/plunger pot. Though common
usage, the name has become somewhat synonymous with the term French press
pot. Body:
the weight and texture of a wine; it may be light-bodied or full-bodied.
Often refers to alcohol content and tannin. Wine and coffee tasters use
the same term for a similar phenomenon. The Mexican coffee should have
the lightest body and the Sumatran the heaviest, with the Yemen Mocha somewhere
in the middle. If you can't distinguish body, try pouring milk into each
coffee. Note how the flavor of the heavy-bodied Sumatran carries through
the milk, whereas the flavor of the Mexican dies away. Boerek
(Turk.): Turkish pastry. Thinly rolled pastry, often a paper-thin
variety called yufka, wrapped around a variety of fillings or layered.
The many different types of boerek can be fried, baked, cooked on a griddle,
or boiled. The most popular fillings are cheese, meat, spinach, and potatoes.
If properly made, boereks should be light and crisp with no trace of excess
oil. It is said that no girl should marry before mastering tha art of making
these pastries. Also: börek. Boerenkool
(Dutch): see Kale. Boeuf
(Fr.): beef. Boeuf
à la ficelle
(Fr.): beef tied with string and poached in broth. Boeuf
à la mode
(Fr.): beef marinated and braised in red wine, served with carrots,
mushrooms, onions, and turnips. Boeuf
gros sel
(Fr.): boiled beef, served with vegetables and coarse salt. Boga
(It.): bogue. BOH:
see Back of the house. Bohémienne,
à la
(Fr.): gypsy style; with rice, tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers,
and paprika, in various combinations. Boidro
(It.): angler or frogfish. Boil:
a cooking method in which items are immersed in liquid at or above the
boiling point (212 degrees F / 100 C). A full rolling boil is a boil that
can not be stirred down with a spoon. Boiled
ham:
a ham that has been boned, cured and fully cooked using a process that
includes boiling the ham in water. It is ready to serve as sliced ham or
ham pieces. Boiled
icing:
this icing, which is similar to Italian meringue, is used as a filling
and frosting for a number of old-fashioned American layer cakes such as
Devil's food cake. Boiler:
see Boiling onion. Boilermaker:
a shot of whiskey followed by a chaser of beer. Boiling
onion:
small versions of yellow, white, or red onions. They're up to two inches
in diameter, and usually cooked whole. A.k.a. boiler or boiler onion. Boisson
(non) comprise
(Fr.): drink (not) included. Bok
Choy
(Chin.): a mild-flavored vegetable similar to celery. Also Pak Choy. Bolet
(Fr.): type of wild boletus mushroom. See Cèpe. Bolillo
(Mex.): crusty Mexican sandwich rolls, also called pan blanco. Bolinhas
de bacalhau
(Port.): salt cod balls. Bollito
di manzo in salsa verde
(It.): boiled top round served with parsley /garlic sauce and potatoes. Bollito
misto
(Ital.): stew consisting of various cuts of meat, including zampone,
boiled in a rich broth with vegetables. The whole dish is served with cornichons,
pickled onions and a variation of chutney called mostarda di Bolognese,
alla
(It.): outside Bolo
Rei
(Port.): traditional cake of brioche mass, stuffed and garnished
with a sugar preserved dry fruit bits, or perfumed liqueur or orange tree
flower. Bolster:
a collar or shank at the point on a knife where the blade meets the handle. Bolzanese
(It.): fruit and nut buns, from Bombay
duck:
a small fish found in Bombe
(Fr.): molded, layered ice cream dessert. Bombixeddas
(It.): Sardinian meatballs, usually made with lamb. Bombo
di riso
(It.): a casserole of squib, chicken, and onions cooked in rice
with tomato and white wine. Bombolone
alla crema
(It.): donut with custard filling. Bon
appetit
(Fr.): enjoy your meal. Bonassai
(It.): Sardinian ewe's milk cheese. Bonbel:
brand name of a popular semisoft cheese sold in small paraffin-coated rounds.
It's pale cream in color has a mild flavor and smooth, buttery texture
that's a perfect compliment for fruit. Bonbon
(Fr.): candy or sweet. Bon-chrétien
(Fr.): good Christian; a variety of pear, also known as poire William's. Bondon
(Fr.): small cylinder of delicately flavored, mushroomy cow's-milk
cheese made in the Neufchâtel area in Bone
sour
(Butch.): caused by bacteria that attack the interior of the meat
when the meat temperature is allowed to rise above normal refrigeration.
Occurs in dry cured, large cuts of meat because of the time required for
the cure to reach the interior of the meat. Always keep meat refrigerated
doing the entire curing period. You can also pump (inject) the cure into
the meat to speed the curing process. Bonet
(It.): this dessert is a specialty of many trattorie and home cooks
in Bongo
(It.): Florentine profiterole of puff pastry stuffed with pastry
cream. Boniato:
a white fleshed sweet potato, having a dark pink to burgundy colored skin,
which is drier and not as sweet as a regular sweet potato. They have a
mild delicate flavor and a fluffy texture when cooked. Boniato potatoes
can be prepared in the same manner as other sweet potatoes. Peeled potatoes
should be immediately placed into cold water in order to prevent discoloration.
When boiling, they must be completely covered with water to prevent blotches
from forming on the potatoes. The boniato is also known as a batata, batata
dulce, batiste, camote, Cuban sweet potato, tropical sweet potato and white
sweet potato. Boning
knife:
a thin-bladed knife used for separating raw meat from the bone; its blade
is usually about 6 inches long. Bonite
(Fr.): a tuna, or oceanic bonito (tonnetto). Bonito:
a.k.a. striped bonito, skipjack, short-finned tuna. Be aware that bonito
is often sold simply as "tuna"; such labelling allows fishmongers to get
a better price for the meat, which is of excellent quality though not as
prized as the meat of its larger cousins. Bonito has a moderate to high
fat content and a flavor that is more pronounced than other members of
the tuna family. Sold as steaks, fillets, whole. Best cooking: Bonito must
be brined before cooking. It bakes well after it's been salted, seasoned
and dredged in flour or breadcrumbs. Whole fish should look alive, smell
of seawater, and be displayed over ice. Steaks should be free of browning,
look fresh, and glisten. Many Spanish dishes feature bonito, which is prized
in the Basque region. Dried bonito, or katsuobushi, is a popular
ingredient in many Japanese dishes; it is an essential component of a soup
base called dashi. Bonne
femme (cuisine)
(Fr.): meat garnish of bacon, potatoes, mushrooms, and onions; fish
garnish of shallots, parsley, mushrooms, and potatoes; or white wine sauce
with shallots, mushrooms, and lemon juice. General: a French phrase indicating
that a dish has been cooked simply (with vegetables and stock). Boom:
to soften gelatin in warm liquid before use. Booster
seat:
riser placed on chair so that young child can reach table. Boquerones
fritos
(Sp.): fried anchovies. Boraggine
(It.): borage. Borage:
bright flowers and hairy leaves distinguish this European herb whose flavor
is reminiscent of cucumber. Both the flowers and leaves are used in salads,
but the leaves must be chopped finely so their hairy texture isn’t offputting.
The leaves are also used to flavor teas and vegetables. Bordatino
(It.): Tuscan soup with corn flour, beans, vegetables, and (possibly)
fish. Bordeaux:
major wine region of Southwestern France, located along the Gironde, Garonne,
and Dordogne rivers that produces some of the world's most famous and long-lived
wines, made from Cabernet Sauvignon blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc
and other minor grapes. Advocates
say that Bordeaux from specific delimited sub-regions, from Medoc and Haut-Medoc
down to specific villages like Pauillac and Margaux, are considered most
desirable - wines from the 'right bank' of the river, St.-Emilion and Pomerol,
often contain higher proportions of Merlot. Bordelaise
(Fr.): Bordolese,
alla
- (It.): bordelaise. Bordure
(Fr.): a ring of food, usually rice, around the main dish. Borecole:
see Kale. Börek
(Arab.): see Boerek. Boreka
(Jew.): sephardic spinach turnover. Borettana
onion:
See Cippolini onion. Borlanda
(It.): cabbage and vegetable soup, from Borlengo
(It.): large Borlotti
(It.): a small red speckled pink bean often used in soups and stews.
Most often used dried rather than fresh. Borragine
(It.): borage. Borrana
(It.): borage. Borscht
(Rus.): a soup made from fresh beets and garnished with sour cream.
May include an assortment of vegetables and/or meat, and may be served
hot or cold. Boscaiola,
alla - (It.):
"woodsman's style." Pasta sauce made with wild mushrooms, tomato and fried
eggplant. Bosco
(It.): woods; wild; “misto di bosco” are mixed berries. Bosega
(It.): gray mullet, whose dried roe sac is used to make bottarga. Bostock:
brioche with perfume of eau fleur d’oranger. Boston
lettuce:
a type of butterhead lettuce, with soft, tender leaves. It's terrific in
salads and sandwiches, or the leaves can be used as a bed for other dishes. Botan
rice:
see Glutinous rice. Botrytis
cinerea:
a mold that attacks certain grapes, producing honeyed sweet wines like
Sauternes and late-harvest Rieslings. Bottagio
(It.): a dish of goose braised with savoy cabbage a specialty of Bottarga
(It.): dried, salted and pressed roe of grey mullet or tuna and
a specialty of Bottarga
uova secche pressate di cefalo
(It.): pressed and dried greymullet roe. Bottarga
di tonno su cuore di sedano
(It.): celery sticks with pressed & dried tuna roe. Bottatrice
(It.): burbot; eel pout. Botte
(It.): barrel. Bottega
(It.): shop. Bottle:
the most common wine bottle size worldwide is 750 ml, but it is not standard.
Some German wine bottles are a liter, some are 700 ml, while some from - Sample:
175 ml - - Third-Bottle:
250 ml (quart carafe) - Half-Bottle:
375 ml - Pot:
500 ml ( - Clavelin:
620 ml (Jura bottle) - Bottle:
750 ml - Magnum:
1.5 liters - Tregnum:
2.25 liters - Double-Magnum:
3 liters ( - Jeroboam
(Sparkling): 3 liters ( - Jeroboam
(Still): 4.5 to 5 liters ( - Rehoboam:
4.5 liters - Imperial
(Still): 6 liters ( - Methusalah
(Sparkling): 6 liters ( - Salmanazar:
9 liters ( - Balthazar
(Sparkling): 12 liters ( - Nebuchadnezzar
(Sparkling): 15 liters ( - Sovereign:
50 liters Bottle
aging:
the aging of wine in the bottles it will be distributed in rather than
in vats, barrels, casks, demijohns, carboys, or gallon jugs. Bottle aging
preserves the bouquet, which can be lost when the wine is bulk aged and
then transferred to bottles. However, a bulk-aged wine can be bottled and
subsequently develop a bottle bouquet. Bottle
bouquet:
a wine's bouquet, captured in the bottle the wine is aged and distributed
in. Bottle
sickness:
a temporary condition characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors.
It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile
wines) are shaken in travel.
Also called bottle shock. A few days of rest, rarely a few months, is the
cure. Bottling:
the process of transferring wine from a secondary into wine bottles
with a racking hose. The process can be assisted with the use of
a bottling wand. Usually, bottling includes corking, affixing capsules,
and labeling the bottles. Bottling
wand: a stiff plastic tube with a one-way flow valve at the lower end that
is used in bottling. In its simplest form, when the tip is pressed
against the bottom of a bottle, wine flows into the bottle. When the tip
is lifted, the flow-valve closes and stops the flow of wine. Bottom
round
(Butch.): the bottom round is usually divided into two smaller cuts:
the bottom round roast and the rump roast. Bottom
round roast
(Butch.): these roasts are cut from the bottom round. Some
people roast them in the oven, but they're a bit tough and work better
as pot roasts. Botulism:
a food-borne illness caused by toxins produced by the anaerobic bacterium
Clostridium botulinum. Bouchée
(Fr.): tiny mouthful; may refer to a bite-size pastry or to a vol-au-vent. Boucher (Fr.):
butcher. Also: a partie in a large restaurant kitchen. Bouchoteur
(Fr.): mussel fisherman; a dish containing mussels. Boudin
(Fr.): technically a meat sausage, but generically any sausage-shaped
mixture. Also: a Cajun sausage with cooked rice mixed into the stuffing. Boudin
blanc
(Fr.): white sausage of veal, chicken, or pork. Boudin
noir
(Fr.): pork blood sausage, or black pudding. Boudouses
(Fr.): literally, to pout; tiny oysters from Bougon
(Fr.): a cheese made with goat's milk with an off-white color, soft
texture, and off-white natural rind. It has a distinct herbal flavor and
is usually sold in small, flat rounds to be used as a snack or appetizer. Bouillabaisse
(Fr.): popular Mediterranean fish soup, most closely identified
with Marseille, ideally prepared with the freshest local fish, preferably
rockfish. Traditionally might include dozens of different fish, but today
generally includes the specifically local rascasse (scorpion fish), Saint-Pierre
(John Dory), fiéla (conger eel), galinette (gurnard or grondin),
vive (weever), and baudroie (monkfish) cooked in a broth of water, olive
oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, parsley, and saffron. The fish is served
separately from the broth, which is poured over garlic-rubbed toast, and
seasoned with rouille which is stirred into the broth. Varied additions
include boiled potatoes, orange peel, fennel, and shellfish. Expensive
shellfish are often added in restaurant versions, but this practice is
considered inauthentic. Bouilleture
(Fr.): famous dish from the Val de Loire: a freshwater eel stew
with shallots, mushrooms, eau de vie and prunes in Sauvignon white
wine (or sometimes red wine). Bouilli
(Fr.): boiled. Bouillir
(Fr.): to boil. Bouilliture
(Fr.): eel stew with red wine and prunes; specialty of the Poitou-Charentes
on the Atlantic coast. Bouillon
(Fr.): reduced stock or broth. Boulaigou
(Fr.): thick sweet or savory pancake from Poitou-Charentes. Also:
savoury pancake. Boulanger
(Fr.): baker, specifically of breads and other non-sweetened doughs.
Also: a partie in a large restaurant kitchen. Boulangère,
à la
(Fr.): in the style of the baker's wife; meat or poultry baked or
braised with onions and potatoes. Boulangère
à l’oseille
(Fr.): potato gratin with sorrel cream sauce. Boule
(Fr.): ball; a large round loaf of white bread, also known as a
miche. Boule
de macreuse
(Fr.) (Butch.): arm clod. Boule
de Picoulat
(Fr.): meatball from Boulette
d'Avesnes
(Fr.): pepper-and-tarragon-flavored cheese, made from visually defective
Maroilles, formed into a cone, and colored red with paprika; named for
Avesnes, a village in the North. Boulettes
( Bounceberry:
see Cranberry. Bouquet
(1) (Fr.): the complex of aromas that develops with age in fine
wines; young wines have aroma, not bouquet. Bouquet
(2) (Fr.): large reddish shrimp. See also Crevette rose. Bouquet
garni
(Fr.): typically fresh whole parsley bay leaf and thyme tied together
with string and tucked into stews, stocks, braises, and other preparations;
the package is removed prior to serving. Bouquetière
(Fr.): garnished with bouquets of vegetables. Bourbon: Bourdaloue
(Fr.): hot poached fruit, sometimes wrapped in pastry often served
with vanilla custard; often pear. Bourekia
(Greek, Cypr.): small puff pastries with meat, cheese or
cream cheese filling. Also: bourekakia. Bourgeoise,
à la
(Fr.): with carrots, onions, braised lettuce, celery and bacon. Bourguignonne,
à la
(Fr.): Bouribot
(Fr.): spicy red-wine duck stew. Bourride
(Fr.): a Mediterranean fish soup that generally includes a mixture
of small white fish, onions, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and olive oil, thickened
with egg yolks and aïoli (garlic mayonnaise); there are many variations. Bourriole
(Fr.): rye flour pancake, both sweet and savory; specialty of the Boursault:
a soft-ripened, triple crème French cheese that very rich and mild.
For best flavor, serve at room temperature. Boursin:
a modern, creamery, fresh cheese of cylindrical shape without rind. It
is made with garlic and herbs or even black pepper. It is a soft industrial
cheese with no affinage. The cheese was founded by Monsieur Boursin in
1957. It has a rich, sweet flavor with a hint of acidity. This cheese is
sold in a corrugated-foil wrapper and it is used as a table cheese for
spreading and baking. It goes good with white wine. Boutargue,
poutargue
(Fr.): salty paste prepared from dried mullet or tuna roe, mashed
with oil; specialty of the Bouton
de culotte
(Fr.): trouser button; tiny buttons of goat cheese from the Lyon
area; traditionally made on farms, aged until rock hard and pungent; today
found in many forms, from soft and young to hard and brittle. Bouza
(Arab.): ice cream. Bovoleto (It.):
snail. Bovolo (It.):
snail, usually sautéed with garlic and olive oil. Bovril:
a simple way to flavor boiling water to replace beef stock. Made from beef
extract, use as a flavoring for soups. A teaspoon dissolved in cup of water
makes a quick beefy drink. Bowl
of red:
see Chili con carne. Bowties:
see Farfalle. Boxty
(Irl.): a traditional potato dish, celebrated in the rhyme. Boyos
(Jew.): sephardic pastry with spinach or onion filling, always with
cheese. “Boyo” means “cake” in Spanish. Boysenberry:
a cross between a blackberry, a raspberry, and a loganberry. It's more
fragile than a blackberry, but it also lacks the blackberry's conspicuous
seeds. Select boysenberries that are dark in color and free of mold. BP:
Brevet Professionelle. Bra
(It.): strong Piedmontese cow's milk cheese. Brace,
alla
- (It.): grilled over an open fire or coals. Braciola (It.):
chop of cutlet, usually pork but also lamb, beef, or game (and even fish). Brains:
beef, pork and lamb brains are available in many supermarkets and most
specialty meat markets. Purchase brains that are a bright pinkish-white
color, plump and firm. They are very perishable and should be used the
day of purchase. Brains must be well washed then blanched in acidulated
water. They can be poached, fried, baked or broiled, and are particularly
delicious when served with beurre noir. Braiser
(Fr.): to braise; to cook meat by browning in fat, then simmering
in covered dish with small amount of liquid vessel, which can be placed
in an oven or on a stovetop. The items can be laid on a bed of mirepoix
or matignon. Temperatures generally range between 175° and 200°C. Braisière
(Fr.): see Brazier. Braising
steak:
cuts of beef sold as braising steak are from the front half of the animal,
which contains more muscle and so needs to be cooked gently to tenderize
it. By long, slow cooking, either in the oven or on the hob, with liquid
and usually vegetables, the meat becomes deliciously tender and just as
tasty as those cuts that require little cooking time. Bracket:
see Mead. Brackish:
a taste fault giving the coffee brew a salty and alkaline sensation. The
result of salts and alkaline inorganic material left after evaporation
of water from the brew due to excessive heat after brewing. Braciola
(It.): roulade (stuffed and rolled meat). Braciolettine
(It.): stuffed meat rolls, smaller than braciola, from beef,
veal, or lamb. Braggot:
see Mead. Bramata
(It.): a fine cornmeal used in polenta. Bramble:
see Blackberry. Bran:
the outer layer of a cereal grain and the part highest in fiber. Branche,
en
(Fr.): refers to whole vegetables or herbs. Brandacujon
(It.): Ligurian stew made with stockfish, potatoes and olive
oil. Brandade
de haricots
(Fr.): warm purée of white beans with anchovies. Brandade
de morue
(Fr.): a warm garlicky purée (of salt cod) with milk or cream
or oil, and sometimes mashed potatoes; specialty of the Term
currently used to denote a variety of flavored mashed potato dishes. Brandy:
spirit made by distilling wine or the fermented mash of fruit. May be aged
in oak barrels. Legend has it that brandy was first produced when an enterprising
sea captain distilled wine in order to save space on his ship. He planned
to reconstitute it with water when he arrived at his homeport, but those
who sampled the new concoction liked it just the way it was. Today, most
brandy is distilled from white wine, though red wine and other fermented
fruit juices are also used. It's
then aged in oak barrels for several years. Brandy is often served as an
after-dinner drink, or added to coffee. There are two highly regarded French
brandies: Brandy
Alexander:
a sweet cocktail that is usually served after dinner. It's made with brandy,
chocolate liqueur and cream. Branzi
(It.): cow's and goat's milk cheese from Branzino
(It.): bass; sea bass. Often cooked whole, it is delicate in flavor
and has few bones. A.k.a. spigola. Braoas
(Port.): round sugar cakes. Brasato
(It.): braised beef or pot roast, often al Barolo. Brasier
(Fr.): see Brazier. Brassado
(Fr.): a donut that is boiled, then baked, much like a bagel; specialty
of the Brassato
(It.): braised roast. Brasserie (Fr.):
an informal French café that serves beer, wine and simple hearty
food. Bratwurst:
fresh sausage, cooked or smoked sausage. Pork or a pork and veal mixture;
highly seasoned; made in links and available both fresh and fully cooked. Braunschweiger:
cooked sausage. Liver sausage that has been smoked after cooking, or includes
smoked meat as ingredients. Brawn:
meat or offal, frequently pickled, cooked, to a soft consistency, covered
with aspic (or jelly) and left to cool and press in a mold under a heavy
weight. Usually turned out, upside down, before serving. Brawny:
used mainly to describe young red wines and wines that are hard, intense,
tannic and have raw woody flavors. Brayaude,
gigot
(Fr.): leg of lamb studded with garlic, cooked in white wine, and
served with red beans, braised cabbage, or chestnuts. Brazier
(Fr.): a pan, designed specifically for braising, that usually has
two handles and a tight-fitting lid. Often is round but may be square or
rectangular. Meats or vegetables can be seared quickly in the open pan
and then covered with a lid to cook slowly in their liquid and the moisture
that is created. It is important that the cooking vessel has a tight fitting
lid so that the liquid does not evaporate. Both the cooking process and
the pan maintain the natural juices and flavor of the food while also tenderizing
the ingredients. Paella is a common dish that can be prepared in a braiser
pan as well as pasta, potato and enchilada dishes. A
braiser pan will typically have a thick base and shallow sides that are
rounded, sloping up and out. A non-stick surface is common as is a see
through lid. Traditional sized braiser pans are 10 to 14 inches in diameter
and holds 2 to 4 quarts of contents. Also: brasier or braisière. Brazil
nut:
a large nut with a hard shell and white kernel, can be eaten raw or used
in cooking. Brazilian
arrowroot:
see Cassava. Bread:
food product made of flour, sugar, shortening, salt, and liquid leavened
by the action of yeast. Bread-and-butter
pickles:
sweet pickles made from thin slices of unpeeled cucumber; usually pickled
with onion and sweet green bell pepper, and flavored with mustard and celery
seeds, cloves and turmeric. Breadcrumbs:
used for breading foods, topping casseroles, stuffing poultry, thickening
stews, and adding inexpensive bulk to meatloaves, hamburgers, and fish
cakes. Dry breadcrumbs are made from very dry bread, and make for a crispy,
crunchy coating for fried foods. The
bread that's used to make soft or fresh breadcrumbs isn't as dry, so the
crumbs produce a softer coating, crust, or stuffing. Almost any bread can
be used to make breadcrumbs, but crusty French or Italian bread works especially
well. To make your own: use stale (but not moldy) bread, or bake bread
slices in a slow oven (200°) until slightly dry (for fresh breadcrumbs)
or very dry (for dry breadcrumbs), and allow to cool. Process the slices
in a food processor, using a steel blade to make coarse crumbs, or a grating
blade to make fine crumbs. Season with salt, herbs, garlic powder, onion
powder, and/or lemon zest if you wish. Bread
flour:
unbleached wheat flour that is high in protein (gluten) for better yeast
bread dough development. Breadfruit:
this is the plant that the H.M.S. Bounty was carrying in the South Pacific
when its crew mutinied. Captain Bligh's goal had been to transport the
seedlings from Bread
sauce:
a British cookery sauce made with breadcrumbs, milk, onions, cream and
various seasonings, usually including cloves. This thick sauce it typically
served with wild game birds and other poultry. Breadsticks:
see Grissini. Bready:
bready taste manifests in coffees that have not been roasted long enough
or at a high enough temperature to bring out the flavor oils. Break
and shred:
the portion of the loaf between the top and the sides that shreds somewhat
during baking. Ideally it should be even around the loaf. Breathing:
wine breathes when it mixes with air and begins to oxidize. Aeration occurs
by pouring the wine into a larger container, such as a decanter
or large wineglass. Breathing can be beneficial for many red wines and
also for some young white wines. Chemically, breathing enables oxygen to
mix with the wine, which hastens the aging process. If a wine stands open
for more than 12 hours, it will begin to turn to vinegar as the oxygen
continues to work. Whether to let a wine breathe before serving depends
on the wine. Contrary to popular belief, it is not always beneficial to
let older wines breathe prior to drinking, as this can cause them to "turn"
- or go bad - before dinner is over. Brebichon
(Fr.): cheese from Brebis
(fromage de)
(Fr.): sheep (sheep's-milk cheese). Breed:
similar to good bloodlines and handling, as in racehorses; the result of
soil, grapes and vinification techniques that combine to produce depth
and distinctive character in a wine. Bréjaude
cabbage
(Fr.): cabbage, leek and bacon soup from Poitou-Charentes. Bresaola (It.):
a cured and dried beef filet from Bresaola
di cavallo
(It.): dry-salted horsemeat. Bresciano
(It.): see Bagozzo. Brési
(Breuzi)
(Fr.): smoked, salted, and dried beef from the Jura. Bretonne,
à la
(Fr.): in the style of Bretzel
(Fr.): a pretzel; specialty of Breve
(It.): cappuccino made with light cream. Brew
pub:
microbreweries that operate in tandem with bar or restaurant. Briary:
describes a young wine having an earthy, prickly taste best described as
peppery often with as stemmy wild berry character. Brider
(Fr.): to truss or tie meator poultry. Bridie
(Scot.): term applied to a semi-circular pastry. Brie:
the best known French cheese with the nickname "The Queen of Cheeses".
Several hundred years ago, Brie was one of the tributes that had to be
paid to the French kings. In Brie
de Meaux
(Fr.): king of cheese, the flat wheel of cheese made only with raw
cow's milk and aged at least four weeks; from Meaux, just east of Paris;
brie made with pasteurized milk does not have the right to be called brie
de Meaux. Brie
de Melun:
(Fr.): smaller than brie de Meaux, another raw-cow's-milk cheese,
aged at least one month, with a crackly rust-colored rind. Brigade
system:
George Auguste Escoffier organized his kitchens (“back of the house”)
by the brigade system (brigade de cuisine), with each section (station)
run by a chef de partie. His solution to chaos was a kitchen
organization based on principles of efficiency and division of labor that
grew out of the Industrial Revolution. Today, most restaurants use some
simplified variation of Escoffier's kitchen brigade. The tasks involved
in assembling the meal are divided among different "stations" (parties
in French), each with its team of cooks. So in a large kitchen you could
have a chef de cuisine, an executive sous-chef, and a second
sous-chef at the top of the brigade hierarchy, with every station
having it’s own hierarchy, from chef de partie (or even senior chef
de partie) down to demi-chef de partie, commis 1, commis
2, commis 3, and apprentice (stagiair). The various elements
of any finished dish may come from as many as eight to twelve stations.
I.g. in large restaurants where much food is prepared before it’s ordered,
there is usually a station called bain-Marie, where finished
soups, sauces and vegetables are kept warm, and this station could have
a chef de bain-Marie, a demi chef de bain-Marie, a commis
1 de bain-Marie and a commis 2 de bain-Marie. In many countries
a commis is called “commis chef”. Together, the team of chefs
in the kitchen is known as the brigade. In English, the chefs who prepare
the places during service are known collectively as the line. At the top
of the kitchen hierarchy is the executive chef (chef de cuisine).
In a hotel, the executive chef oversees all food preparation in the property's
various food service outlets; the role is largely administrative. In a
restaurant, the executive chef's duties are usually more hands-on. Now
that so many restaurant chefs have multiple restaurants under their command,
however, their role has also become more administrative in scope. Below
the executive chef is the executive sous-chef, or sous-chef de cuisine
(also called chef de fabrication, chef adjoint or
second chef). This is the person directly in charge of managing the kitchen.
The cooks all report to the sous-chef de cuisine, who in turn reports
to the chef de cuisine. To help oversee the smooth management of
the kitchen, the chef de cuisine usually has one or two sous-chefs
(literally "under chefs"). The responsibilities of the sous-chefs
are often divided by meal period - for instance there will be a lunch sous-chef
and a dinner sous-chef. The breakdown of the chefs de partie
- "station chefs" or "line cooks" in English - is determined by the breadth
and scope of the menu (not to mention the space available in the kitchen)
and their tasks at hand. Thus, the saucier is responsible
for making the sauces and stocks. The rôtisseur is
responsible for meats and roasts, the poissonier, fish. A
grillardin does the grilling, a potager makes
the soups. Vegetables and other side dishes are the charge of the entremetier.
The friturier mans the fryer. The garde-manger
is in charge of the cold pantry, from which issues forth hors d'oeuvres,
salads, garnishes, and other cold preparations. He supervises the froitier,
the hors d’oeuvrier and the boucher. The charcutier
is in charge of curing, smoking and processing pork. The pâtissier
is in charge of the pastries and other baking. A chocolatier
would be responsible for chocolate items. A glacier is in
charge of making the ice cream and other desserts. A friturier
is responsible for deep fried foods and works under the saucier.
Further divisions and subdivisions are also possible. Depending on the
demands placed on the staff, within the different stations there may be
multiple cooks and assistants. Young apprentices known as commis
or stagiaires are plentiful in large. A tournant is
an experienced chef who can fill in at any station should the cooks become
backed-up during service, or should someone not show up to work. A boulanger
bakes the bread. A trancheur cuts and carves meat and fish
that is cooked as a whole. A froitier specialises in cold savoury
dishes. The expediter (aboyeur, in French, or "barker") is
the person to whom the orders from the dining room are given by the waitstaff
or, more likely these days, by the computerized ordering system. This is
the role the executive chef often takes during service (often to the dismay
of the staff; most executive chefs make poor expediters). The expediter
is responsible for timing the preparation of a table's order so that all
of the various components from the different stations are completed at
exactly the same moment. Other parties are: breakfast (i.g.
chef du petit déjeuner), lunch and diner. A night
or duty chef would be called chef du nuit or chef de garde.
The chef that is in charge of feeding the brigade (cooks have to eat too)
is called the communard, chef de communard, or staff chef. The
waitstaff (“front of the house”) have a similar hierarchical system:
from maître d’hôtel down to gérant
(sometimes called chef-gérant, because he
spends quite some time in the kitchen and needs to know a lot about food
preparation), chef de salle (or chef d’étage),
chef de rang, demi-chef de rang, commis de rang
(or commis de salle), and commis débarasseur.
Sommelier (cellarmaster or wine steward) is a specialized
position in the front-of-the-house hierarchy; quite a few sommeliers are
only accountable to the gérant or even the maître
d’, and operate rather autonomical. See also: Career paths. Bright:
used to describe fresh, ripe, zesty, lively young wines with vivid, focused
flavors. Brik:
device to brew Turkish (or
Greek)
coffee. Brik
à l’oeuf:
Tunisian and Jewish snack of egg and a tasty filling fried in an envelope
of pastry. Brill:
a fish of the flounder family. An excellent European saltwater flatfish
closely related to the turbot. It has a delicate, light flesh that can
be broiled, fried, baked, grilled or poached. Brillat-Savarin,
Jean Athelme:
(1755-1826) famed gastronome, coiner of food aphorisms, and author of “The
physiology of taste, or, transcendental gastronomy; a theoretical, historical
and topical work, dedicated to the gastronomes of Brillat-Savarin:
this cheese was created in 1930's by Henri Androuet and was named after
the renowned 18 century French food writer Brillat-Savarin. It is
a soft-white cheese of round shape with a thick, velvety, white crust.
It is a triple cream cheese similar to Le Saulieu, Lucullus and Boursault. Brilliant:
a clear and bright - as opposed to cloudy – appearance of a wine. Brin
d'Amour:
from the Brine:
a salt, water, and seasonings solution used to preserve foods. Briny:
applies to a coffee that has been over-roasted. Also: the salty sensation
caused by excessive heat after brewing. Brinza:
look for this salty sheep's milk cheese in Eastern European markets. It's
spreadable when young, but becomes crumbly as it ages. Like Feta, it's
good in salads or melted on pizza. Also: brynza. Brioche
(Fr., It.): buttery egg-enriched yeast bread, traditionally
baked in a fluted pan with a distinctive topknot of dough. In Brioche
agli asparagi
(It.): asparagus brioche. Brioche
farcita con crema di formaggio
(It.): brioche filled with cheese cream. Briquette:
one of the coal-size pieces of permanent refractory material used in open-hearth
gas-fired grills to provide radiant broiling heat. Brisket:
a cut of beef from the lower forequarter, best suited for long-cooking
preparations like braising. Corned beef is cured beef brisket. British
mixed spice:
also: pudding spice. Grind together 1 small cinnamon stick and 1 tablespoon
each cloves, mace, ground nutmeg, coriander seeds, and allspice berries. Brix:
term used to measure the sugar content of grapes, grape juice (must) or
wine. Grapes are generally harvested at 20 to 25 Brix, resulting in alcohol
after fermentation of 11.5 to 14 percent. Broa
(Port.): cornbread. Brocciu
(Fr.): soft, young, sheep's milk cheese from Broccoflower:
a green variety of cauliflower. Broccoli:
broccoli is tasty, good for you, and easy to cook. The florets can be steamed
or boiled and served as a side dish, or served raw on a crudité
platter, or stir-fried. The stems are good, too, but you should peel them
first and cook them a little longer. Select broccoli that's dark green
and fresh smelling. Broccolini:
results from a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. The slender
stems resemble asparagus in flavor and texture. Broccoli
Romanesco:
similar to broccoli, but its florets resemble pinecones. It's especially
good raw. Broccoli
sprouts:
these are rich in sulforaphane, a cancer-fighting compound. They also have
a pleasant, peppery flavor. Broccolrabe:
a green bitter vegetable unless harvested young. Looks like broccoli but
has skinnier stalks. The leaves, stems and florets are eaten. Really good
sautéed with garlic and olive oil and served over pasta. Also known
as Italian broccoli, rabe, rapini. This cooking green has long been popular
in Broche (Fr.):
skewer. Broche,
à la
(Fr.): spit-roasted. Brochet(on)
(Fr.): freshwater pike (small pike). Brochette
(Fr.): cubes of meat or fish and vegetables on a skewer. Brocoletti (It.):
broccoli. Usually boiled or steamed, sautéed in olive oil and garlic
or served cold with olive oil and lemon. Brocoli:
(Fr.): broccoli. Brodo
(It.): broth. Brodo
di carne
(It.): beef broth. Brodo
di pollo
(It.): chicken broth. Brodetto
(It.): general term for any fish soup or chowder. Brodetto
di pesce alla marinara
(It.): brodetta with mixed fish and shrimps, onion, olive
oil, sweet green peppers, red vinegar, and parsley. Served with Italian
bread. Traditionally from Broil:
a cooking method in which items are cooked by a radiant heat source placed
above the food. This method generally is much faster then grilling, and
typically uses a gas or electric fuel source. Broiler:
piece of equipment used to broil foods. A backshelf broiler is a
broiler with gas-heated ceramic radiants or electric heating elements,
having an adjustable sliding grill. The unit is normally mounted on a panel
and brackets above the rear of the range. Also called salamander broiler.
A charcoal broiler is a horizontal-type unit with removable bottom pan
containing glowing charcoals to radiate high heat into the bottom of foods
set on a grill above. Mounted on stand or enclosed cabinet or masonry base.
A char broiler or open-hearth is a horizontal-type unit with gas-heated
briquettes under a grill at the top. Also a horizontal-type unit with nonglowing
electric strip heaters at the top. May also be equipped with an adjustable
electric grill above the top grill to broil both sides at once. A conveyor
broiler is a horizontal-type unit with openings at both ends, using a motor-driven
grill-type conveyor to transport food between or under gas-fired ceramics
or electric heaters. Also a horizontal-type unit, open at both ends, using
a motor-driven, revolving, heated griddle to transport food under ceramics
or electric heaters. A pop-up broiler is an enclosed horizontal-type unit
with a slot-ted opening in the top and gas-heated radiants on both sides
of the cavity. Food is placed in an elevating mechanism and broiled on
both sides at the same time. Similar to a pop-up toaster. A Chinese broiler,
also called pork and spare rib broiler, is a counter- or stand-mounted
narrow-depth broiler with two or three decks, each having gas burners and
radiants, for cooking pork slices and spare ribs in metal platters. An
upright broiler is a vertical-type unit with an opening at the front and
gas-heated radiant ceramics or electric heating elements at the top of
the cavity. Food is placed on a sliding adjustable grill set under the
radiants. May be mounted on counter top, oven or cabinet base, or stand.
Often aligns with ranges. May be equipped with removable charcoal pan. Broiler-griddle
combination:
unit with front open-ing with griddle plate set into top, equipped with
gas-heated radiants under the griddle. Radiants heat food and griddle simultaneously.
Also: unit with front-opening door(s) having gas-heated radiants at the
top of the cavity and food placed on a sliding or swinging type griddle
plate set below. Broiler
rôtisserie:
a cooking appliance that is used to slowly cook meats, poultry and firm
textured seafood, such as shrimp, as it rotates continuously over a heat
source. It is a cooking utensil that can be used indoors and is suitable
for use on countertops or enclosed areas. An electric broiler is placed
in the lower section of the rôtisserie while a grill rack and a motorized
spit are place above a stainless steel shell. This type of rôtisserie
will commonly allow components to be used that provide a single shaft spit,
an adapter with multiple shafts to hold poultry and similar large pieces
of food around the single shaft, or individual kebab skewers to
be mechanically rotated over the heat source. A similar French cooker,
which uses coals instead of electric heat, is known as a Cocambroche cooker. Broqueta
de riñones
(Sp.): kidney kebabs. Bròs:
see Bruz. Broth:
a flavorful, aromatic liquid made by simmering water or stock with meat,
vegetables, and/or spices and herbs. Brouet
(Fr.): old term for soup. Brouillade
(Fr.): a mixture of ingredients as in a stew or soup; also, scrambled
eggs. Brouillé(s)
(Fr.): scrambled, usually eggs. Brousse
(Fr.): a very fresh and unsalted (thus bland) sheep's- or goat's-milk
cheese, not unlike Italian ricotta; specialty of Nice and Marseille. Brousse
de brebis
(Fr.): a mellow-flavored cow's milk cheese usually sold in small
squares. It is available in specialty-food shops. Broutard
(Fr.): young goat. Brovada
(It.): a peasant food that is virtually unknown outside the region
of Brown:
to fry in fat over high heat in order to sear the outer services of meat
so as to seal in the juices. Brownie:
a dense, chewy, cake-like bar cookie that is generally chocolate-flavored
and colored (hence the name) and cut in bar shapes to serve. The name comes
from the deep-brown color of the cookie. The origins of the chocolate brownies
is uncertain but it is felt that it was probably created by accident, the
result of a forgetful cook neglecting to add baking powder to chocolate
cake batter. Sears, Roebuck catalog in 1897 published the first known recipe
for the brownies, and it quickly became very popular all over the world. Browning:
denotes aging in a wine. Describes
a wine's color and is a sign that a wine is mature and may be faded. A
wine of good character and depth can still be most enjoyable even with
a significant 'brown' tint. Wines 20 to 30 years old may have a brownish
edge yet still be pleasurable. Brown
peppercorn:
see Brown
sauce:
a sauce made from a brown stock and aromatics and thickened by roux, a
pure starch slurry, and/or a reduction. Brown
stock:
an amber liquid produced by simmering browned bones and meat (usually veal
or beef with vegetables and aromatics (including caramelized mirepoix). Brown
sugar:
comes in two forms; the more intensely flavored dark brown sugar and the
lighter brown sugar, both containing molasses. Dark brown sugar contains
more molasses that light brown sugar. To avoid hardening of either sugar,
store it in an airtight container. Brown Bruglione
(It.): Tuscan sautéed dish of mushrooms, garlic and potatoes. Brugnon
(Fr.): nectarine. Bruise:
in cooking, to partially crush an ingredient in order to release its flavor.
Bruising a garlic clove with the flat side of a knife crushes without cutting
it. Brûlé(e)
(Fr.): burned; usually refers to caramelization. Brunch:
meal served after breakfast but before lunch. Brunello
di Montalcino:
the Brunello grape, grown in the town of Brunoise
(Fr.): tiny diced vegetables; 1/8-inch square is the standard. For
a brunoise cut, items are first cut in julienne, then cut crosswise.
For a fine brunoise, 1/16-inch square, cut items first in fine julienne. Brunswick
stew:
Brunswick County, Virginia, was the birthplace in 1828 of this hearty squirrel
meat and onion stew. Today, it is generally made with rabbit or chicken
and often contains a variety of vegetables including okra, lima beans,
tomatoes and corn. Bruscandoli (It.):
wild greens, used in salads or as a sautéed vegetable. Bruschetta
(It.): grilled slices of bread brushed with olive oil and fresh
garlic. This was the original garlic bread. Bruschetta
casalinga
(It.): bruschetta with tomato, mozzarella, oregano, and olive
oil. Bruschetta
con marmellata di cipolle rosse e pecorino
(It.): bruschetta with red onion marmalade and pecorino. Brussels
sprouts:
these look like small cabbages, and they're most often boiled or steamed
and served as a side dish. They have a rather strong flavor, so it's best
not to pair them with anything that's delicately flavored. They don't store
well, so use them within a day or two after purchasing. Brutti
ma buoni
(It.): literally "Ugly But Good," these light almond macaroons from
Northern and Brustolini;
Bruscolini
(It.): toasted zucca (squash) seeds. Brut
(Fr.): very dry or sugarless, particularly in reference to Champagne
and sparkling wine. Brute
(Fr.) (Butch.): untrimmed (pork). Bruxelloise
(Fr.): in the Bruz
(It.): sometimes called bròs, this is a cheese preparation
typical of Piedmont and Liguria. It is made by mixing together left-over
bits of robiola or goat cheese, adding grappa or brandy, olive oil, vinegar,
chili pepper or peppercorns, and salt, then placing the mixture in hermetically
sealed terra-cotta pots to ferment and become spicy. The fermented cheese
is slathered on warm toasted bread and grilled polenta. Brynza:
see Brinza. B’steeya
(Arab.): a Moroccan dish of phyllo pastry filled with shredded
chicken, ground almonds and spices. The “pie” is baked until a crisp golden
brown, then sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon. Also spelled
bastela, bastila, bisteeya, and bstilla. BTS:
Brevet de Technicien Supérieur, i.e. BTS-hôtellerie-restauration
and BTS-responsible de l’hébergement. Bu
(Thai.): crab. Bubbler:
(in wine making) a glass or plastic device designed to use water as an
insulator to protect the fermentation media from contamination and exposure
to fresh air, while at the same time allowing carbon dioxide produced by
the yeast to escape the fermentation vessel. Also called an air lock, fermentation
trap or airlock. Bucatini (It.):
long, narrow tubes of pasta usually served with a hearty meat sauce, almost
always served all' Amatriciana or alla Gricia. Bucatoni or
perciatelli are similar but thicker in diameter. Bucatini
alla marchigiana (It.):
bucatini with a sauce of tomatoes and vegetables, like blanched selery,
onion, carrot, and herbs. Italian chefs will use a very green verdicchio
or vino cotto to prepare this dish. Bucatini
all’anatra in giallo (It.):
bucatini with cubes of duck meat, in a sauce of scallion, fresh
breadcrumbs, a bit curry, and red wine. Traditionally from Bucatini
con le sarde (It.):
bucatini with fresh sardines, wild fennel, onion, olive oil, tomato
sauce, anchovies, pine nuts, raisins, saffran, salt and pepper. Traditionally
from Bucatini
con pomodorini ripieni (It.):
bucatini with small tomatoes (pomodoroni ciliegia), cut in half,
stuffed with a mixture of breadcrumbs, garlic, basil, peperoncini
and pecorino, in a sauce with parsley and olive oil. Traditionally
from Bucatoni (It.):
see Bucatini. Buccellato
(It.): a traditionally wreathed-shaped sweet of Lucca in Tuscany,
buccellato was often prepared to celebrate confirmations. It is a simple
dessert, made of leavened dough enriched with eggs, sugar, and butter or
lard; dried citron or Marsala are sometimes folded in. There are endless
variations of buccellato, and every baker has his or her special touch. Buccia
(It.): skin or peel. Bucciato:
this white wine from Veneto shows a brilliant golden yellow color and nuances
of golden yellow, very transparent. The nose reveals good personality with
intense, clean, pleasing, refined and elegant aromas that start with hints
of medlar, honey and hawthorn followed by good aromas of quince, pear,
ripe peach, almond and a hint of vanilla. In the mouth has good correspondence
to the nose, a crisp and pleasing round attack however well balanced by
alcohol, good body, intense flavors, agreeable. The finish is persistent
with flavors of ripe peach and quince. Buccin
(Fr.): large sea snail or whelk, also called bulot. Bûche
de Noël
(Fr.): Christmas cake shaped like a log (bûche), a sponge
cake often flavored with chestnuts and chocolate. Bucheron:
a tangy yet mild chèvre (goat cheese) that is usually soft and spreadable.
Bucheron comes in logs either with white rinds or covered with black ash. Buckwheat
flour:
a gluten-free flour made by grinding hulled buckwheat seeds. It is not
a relative of wheat. Originating in Russia, buckwheat has a distinctive
flavor and is used in pancakes and some baked goods, such as multi-grain
breads. Russian blini are made with buckwheat flour. Groats and
kasha also are produced from buckwheat. Buckwheat
sprouts:
are eaten as a vegetable, usually raw in salads. Buco
(It.): "hole" or "small space," a term is used in Buddaci (It.):
comber fish, usually cooked in soup. Buddha's
hand citron:
a.k.a. Buddha's fingers citron, or fingered citron This fragrant fruit
has hardly any flesh, but the peel can be candied. Budella
(It.): intestines, especially that of lamb. The whole intestines,
or chitterlings, may be grilled, while the casings are used to make sausage. Bu
ding
(Chin. [Mand.]): pudding. In Cantonese it’s called “bo din”. Budino
(It.): general term for pudding, may be savory or sweet. Budino
di spinaci con salsa di formaggio
(It.): spinach pudding with cheese sauce. Bue
(It.): beef. Bufalo;
bufala
(It.): water buffalo, the meat of which is eaten in some southern
areas of Italy and whose milk is used for mozzarella. Buffalo:
buffalo meat tastes like beef, but it's a lot leaner. To keep tender cuts
from drying out, cook them to no more than medium rare. Tougher cuts should
be cooked very slowly over low heat. Also: bison. Buffalo
chopper:
a piece of kitchen equipment used for finely chopping raw or cooked products. Buffet:
table set with ready-to-eat foods or quickly prepared foods; food presented
for self-service. Buffet
froid
(Fr.): variety of dishes served cold, sometimes from a buffet. Buffet
unit:
a mobile or stationary counter having flat surfaces, with cold pans or
heated wells at the top, on which chafing dishes, canape trays, or other
food displays can be placed for self service. Buglione
(It.): "mess." A peasant stew made with meat, poultry and vegetables
used to make broth, sautéed in oil and garlic with chopped celery
and carrots. Bugne
(Fr.): deep-fried yeast-dough fritter or doughnut dusted with confectioner's
sugar; popular in and around Lyon before Easter. Buisson
(Fr.): bush; generally a dish including vegetables arranged like
a bush; classically a crayfish presentation. Also: a dish piled as a pyramid
- literally a bush of feathers. Un buisson d'ecrevisses is a pile
of crayfish. Why do chefs pile so much these days? It’s plain ugly and
it shows lack of creativity and sense of composition. Or maybe the plates
are just too small. Bulb
fennel:
see Fennel. Bulema
(Jew.): sephardic spinach roll in phylla. Bulghur
(Arab.): see Burghul. Bulgogi
(Kor.): marinated strips of beef cooked over charcoal on a grill.
It is the best known and most popular of all Korean foods. Beef is most
often identified with bulgogi, but even pork, chicken, lamb, squid, and
octopus can be cooked bulgogi style. Foreigners consider it the national
dish of Korea. It is often prepared at the table on small grills and accompanied
by kimchi, a spicy pickled cabbage. In Korean, the word bul means “fire”
and gogi means “meat.” The word is commonly translated as Korean barbecue,
thought it literally means “fire meat.” Bulk
aging:
the aging of wines in vats, barrels, casks, demijohns, carboys, or gallon
jugs prior to bottling. An advantage of bulk aging is that the wine ages
evenly and sediments developed during aging can be left behind when the
wine is bottled. Bullshot:
a drink composed of two parts beef bouillon and one part vodka, plus dashes
of Worcestershire sauce, bitters, and Tabasco sauce. Bully
beef
: a term used in Bulo
do mel
(Port.): honey cakes. Bulot
(Fr.): large sea snail or whelk, also called buccin. Bumbu
(Indon.): a combination of spices and seasonings crushed to a paste.
Traditionally, the spice paste is ground on a gray stone plate with a small
stone pestle that fits nicely in the hand. The plates vary in size from
five to twelve inches or more in diameter and can aid in reducing shallots,
garlic, seeds, and grasses to smooth consistencies. A variety of industrial
bumbus is sold in Asian foodstores. Their names are equal to the names
of the dishes you can prepare with them, i.g. “bumbu nasi goreng”, “bumbu
daging semor”, “bumbu rendang”, “bumbu babi kecap”, etc. Bummalo
(Ind.): see Bombay duck. Bumper:
similar to a turnover, but slightly larger. Bun
(Vietn.): thin rice vermicelli. Bunching
onion:
see Green onion. Bundnerfleisch
(Swiss): see Bresaola. Bung:
(wine making term) in cooperage, a wooden stopper used to seal the cask,
keg or barrel. In glassware, usually a rubber stopper used to seal a demijohn,
carboy or jug. Bungs may be either solid or drilled with a central hole
to accept a fermentation lock (airlock). Some bungs have two holes drilled
to accept two airlocks, or one airlock and a blow-off tube. Buñuelos
(Sp.): light fried pastries. Buon
appetito
(It.): "good appetite," “enjoy,” a salutation with which to begin
a meal. Burdock:
is becoming increasingly popular in the United States, but it's already
an important vegetable in Asia. It lends an interesting, earthy flavor
to soups, stews, or stir-fried dishes. Select
small, firm roots. Also: gobo root, great burdock, beggar's button. Burekas
(Isr.): pastry of Turkish origin, filled with cheese, potato, meat,
spinach or eggplant. Burger:
the term "burger" has become generic, and may refer to sandwiches that
have ground meat (or even vegetarian) fillings other than a beef patty. Burger
press:
a kitchen utensil designed to create meat patties that are consistent in
shape, size and weight. A typical burger press is made from plastic or
stainless steel and consists of a round container with a circular cover
or "press" that can be forced downward against the ground meat to form
it into a patty shape. All types of ground meat or combinations of meat
and other ingredients, such as vegetables, can easily be made into uniform
patties with a burger press. Beef burgers, turkey burgers, vegetable burgers,
sausage burgers, and numerous other varieties of burgers can be quickly
formed using a burger press. Burghul
(Arab.): also Bulghur. Whole-wheat kernels that have been steamed,
dried, and cracked. Burghul may be soaked or cooked and added to baked
goods, or ground into flour. Most commonly used in breads and tabouleh
salad. Burgundy:
see Bourgogne. Buri
(Jap.): adult yellowfin tuna. Burnet:
native to Europe, burnet includes any of several herbs, the most common
being salad burnet. Its leaves are used in salads and with vegetables,
having a fragrance similar to cucumber. Burnt:
describes a wine that has an overdone, smoky, toasty or singed edge. Also
used to describe overripe grapes. Burnt
cream:
also known as Trinity Cream since it is generally believed to have originated
at Trinity College, Cambridge, in the 18th century. It is the English relation
(and predecessor) of the French Crème Brulée. Buron
(Fr.): traditional hut where cheese is made in the Burrata (It.):
basically a soft mozzarella whose soft center is a combination of cream
and finely chopped mozzarella curds. Traditionally made from buffalo's
milk, today Burrata is made with cow's milk. Highly perishable due to its
creamy center, Burrata lasts only a couple of days in the refrigerator.
Pair with fresh tomatoes, crisp basil, and a generous drizzle of olive
oil. Burriche
(Jew.): kind of boyo, made with a strudel-type dough. Burrida
(It.): this Sardinian specialty is not a soup like the similarly
named burrida of Liguria, but rather a way of dressing fish from the shark
and skate family. The fish is poached in an aromatic broth with onion,
carrot, celery, parsley and a wedge of lemon, then served with a flavorful
garlic sauce stretched with mild vinegar and thickened with crushed pine
nuts or walnuts. Burrida
di Seppie
(It.): cuttlefish stew. Burrida
Ligure
(It.): Ligurian fish soup. Burrino
(It.): small cow's milk cheese, pear-shaped and typical of the southern
regions of Italy. Burritos
(Mex.): burritos consist of a filling, usually shredded or dried meat,
often mixed with a chile sauce, wrapped in a large, thin flour tortilla.
They are a specialty of the State of Sonora where they are often packed
into saddlebags. Burro (It.):
butter; pasta al burro has only sweet butter and Parmesan cheese. Burro
ai gamberetti (It.): shrimp butter. Burro
ai gamberi (It.): prawn butter. Burro
al crescione (It.): cress butter. Burro
al dragoncello (It.): tarragon butter. Burro
all'aglio (It.): garlic butter. Burro
alla maître d'hôtel (It.): Maître d'hôtel
butter (with parsley and lemon juice). Burro
all'aragosta (It.): spiny lobster butter. Burro
alla senape (It.): mustard butter. Burro
all'astice (It.): lobster butter. Burro
alle acciughe (It.): anchovy butter. Burro
alle erbe (It.): herb butter. Burro
alle mandorle (It.): almond butter. Burro
alle nocciole (It.): hazelnut butter. Burro
al salmone (It.): salmon butter. Burro
al tartufo (It.): truffler butter. |